[Computer-assisted static and light-evoked dynamic pupillometry in psychosomatic patients]

Microprocessor-assisted pupillometry was used in this psychophysiological study to investigate the pupillary diameter (static pupillometry) and visual-evoked pupillary reactions (dynamic pupillometry) in psychosomatic patients (duodenal ulcers, ulcerative colitis, cardiac phobia, anorexia nervosa, bronchial asthma) as compared with age-and sex-matched normal controls. Statistical analyses including multivariate methods demonstrated interesting differences between psychosomatic patients and normal controls, as well as between various subtypes of psychosomatic disorders and elucidated also the influence of a 6 weeks' course of psychotherapy. The data give valuable clues to symptom/syndrome-specific psychophysiological reaction types, which may be of considerable relevance for the characterization of psychosomatic diseases.