The effect of benzodiazepines administration on auricular symptomatological evidence

The aim of this study is to verify the response of auricular skin to interoceptive stimuli in two groups of patients suffering from a gastroenteral pathology. Patients were submitted to a complete examination of auricle, in order to detect morphological alterations and painful points, and to a diagnostic digestive endoscopy. A group of patients took benzodiazepines at the moment of auricular examination; the second group did not take any drug. Results show that there is a significantly lower number of auricular painful points in the patients taking benzodiazepines in comparison with the patients who did not take such drug. In the patients treated with benzodiazepines the auricular diagnosis of painful points does not seem to be reliable.