[Biologic artefacts in the EEG of neurotic patients]

Biological artefacts caused by tension of head and neck muscles, eye movements and blinking, swallowing and perspiration represent part of the patient's mimic expression and psychophysiological state. Therefore the artefact patterns in the EEG of 53 patients with different types of neuroses were analysed, quantified and statistically compared to artefact patterns in 53 EEG of an age- and sex matched control group. None of the patients and controls were receiving psychopharmacological medication. Patients with hysterical neurosis produced the highest rate of blinking and/or eye movements and displayed the most EMG-artefacts (significance level as compared to the control group 2 alpha less than or equal to 0.001 by the Wilcoxon test). The lowest artefact rate was found in patients suffering from depressive neurosis with the exception of swallowing, which occurred more frequently than in any other type of neurosis and than in the control group (2 alpha less than or equal to 0.001). The artefact pattern of patients with obsessional neurosis was instead predominated by EMG and perspiration artefacts.