Cutaneous thresholds and anxiety: influence of eye orientation and lateral asymmetry

This study investigated the combined influence of anxiety and eye orientation on cutaneous thresholds. The relationship between anxiety and the lateral differences was also examined. Right-handed subjects of low and high trait anxiety received weak electric shocks on either hand. Cutaneous thresholds were recorded when eyes were directed towards or away from the stimulated area. State anxiety was retrospectively assessed. As compared to a contralateral eye orientation, directing the eyes ipsilaterally to the stimulated area yielded lower thresholds for subjects low in trait anxiety. This effect was not observed for subjects high in trait anxiety. The benefit of the ipsilateral orientation was higher for subjects with lower state-anxiety scores as well. Besides, subjects low in trait anxiety presented a left-hand advantage which was not shown by those high in trait anxiety. The left-right difference in thresholds was also positively correlated with state anxiety. The eye-orientation results are discussed in terms of anxiety-induced modification of spatial attention and the differential hand sensitivity findings in terms of hemispheric specialization.