Cognitive performance, electrodermal activity, self-rated mood and symptomatology in medicated and unmedicated anxiety disorder patients
Titel:
Cognitive performance, electrodermal activity, self-rated mood and symptomatology in medicated and unmedicated anxiety disorder patients
Auteur:
Jensen, Hans Henrik Hasle, Nicolas Birket-smith, Morten
Verschenen in:
Cognitive behaviour therapy
Paginering:
Jaargang 26 (1997) nr. 3 pagina's 113-123
Jaar:
1997-07-01
Inhoud:
A comparison was made between medicated and unmedicated anxiety disorder patients referred to an anxiety clinic for evaluation because prior treatment had been without effect. Thirty patients, half of whom were medicated (mostly benzodiazepines and antidepressants), and twelve healthy controls were included in the analysis. The groups were compared on self-report questionnaires, cognitive performance tests, and electrodermal measurements. On cognitive tests, delayed memory of both verbal and visual material was significantly poorer in the anxiety patients compared with controls. On immediate recall and subsequent learning in the visual test, the medicated patients were the most affected. No differences between medicated and unmedicated patients were found on autonomic responding, psychiatric symptomatology and psychological trait and state variables. Electrodermal responding and trait anxiety scores, however, were more reliable in the medicated group, as indicated by 1 week test-retest correlations. Although speculative, it is suggested that the response pattern in the medicated group to some extent could compromise a subsequent psychological treatment programme.