Fine body movement during autogenic training. Longitudinal and short-term changes

A sensitive electronic device (static sensograph) was used to record fine body movement in two similar groups of normal high school girls at intervals over a few months. One group received weekly instructions in the technique of autogenic training (AT) and was urged to practice it daily, whereas the other (control group) received no such instrutions. In the AT group mean body movement (eyes closed, sitting position) decreased with every session. At 3 and 4.5 months after training was begun (session 3 and 4, respectively) mean body movement of this group was significantly lower than in the first session, before training was begun. In the fourth (but not earlier) sessions the AT group also showed a significant decrease in mean body movement during AT compared with the periods immediately preceding and following it. In contrast, the control gorup showed no significant differences in means between any sessions or periods within a session. The results suggest that fine body movement as measured by a static sensograph is a useful parameter for studying AT and probably other relaxation procedures.