A preliminary investigation of psychophysiological responses to stress among different subgroups of asthmatic children

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Abstract

We studied the psychophysiological responses to stress among 3 groups of asthmatics differing on the degree of self-reported emotionally induced asthma. Variables studied were heart rate, finger pulse amplitude, respiration durations and rates, and Peak Expiratory Flow Rates. Stress was induced by arbitrarily criticising asthmatic boys for their performance on mental arithmetic problems. The data showed the stress to have marked effects on all variables but PEFR. Asthmatics with emotional precipitants showed abnormal respiration patterns and reduced vasoconstriction to the stress.

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From the Behavior Science Division of the Children's Asthma Research Institute and Hospital.

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