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Including Studies of Autonomic Response Specificity

DONALD OKEN, M.D.; ROY R. GRINKER, M.D.; HELEN A. HEATH, Ph.D.; MARVIN HERZ, M.D.; SHELDON J. KORCHIN, Ph.D.; MELVIN SABSHIN, M.D.; NEENA B. SCHWARTZ, Ph.D.

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1962;6(5):336-351.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

I. Introduction

A central notion in psychosomatic theory is that emotion which is dammed-up and fails to be "discharged" leads to physiological alterations which eventuate in tissue pathology. Concerning the physiological changes accompanying emotional responses, Dunbar³ states: "If they are not discharged in action they tend to persist or to be followed by other changes, such for example as disturbed endocrine balance . . . and any state of chronic disturbance of function tends to become crystallized in structural change." Similarily, Alexander¹ indicates that: "Fear, aggression, guilt, frustrated wishes, if repressed, result in permanent chronic emotional tension which disturb the functions of the vegetative organs."

Manifold clinical reports have suggested that a concomitance exists between the presence or exacerbation of "psychosomatic" disorders and emotion which is repressed or suppressed. Research has demonstrated clearly that widespread physiological changes take place during the development of overt emotional states. But . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
CHICAGO

Institute for Psychosomatic and Psychiatric Research and Training, Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, Chicago.

Present addresses: Department of Psychiatry, Montefiore Hospital, New York (Dr. Herz); Adult Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda 14, Md. (Dr. Korchin); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago (Dr. Sabshin); Department of Physiology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago (Dr. Schwartz).

Footnotes
Submitted for publication Dec. 4, 1961.

This study was supported by funds from Research Grant M-1442 of the National Institute of Mental Health and by the State of Illinois Mental Health Fund, Grant 1711.

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