The diagnostic potential of rheoencephalography in psychiatry

A 33 electrode monopolar rheoencephalograph was employed to produce a 15 min record of electrical impedance plethysmographic pulse-volume waves in 139 healthy sujects and 782 patients belonging to 15 psychiatric syndromes. Parameters of amplitude, percent rise time and average inflow angle were hand-measured and their means obtained for 30 waveforms throughout each record. Results obtained depended significantly upon chronological age and in some cases on gender. Mental health was found clearly distinguishable from psychiatric disability, but psychiatric syndromes could not be differentiated from one another. A low percent rise time coupled with a high average inflow angle were typical of youth and mental health.