Does muscle tension reflect arousal? Relationship between electromyographic and electroencephalographic recordings

Rudolf Hoehn-Saric; Richard L. Hazlett; Tahere Pourmotabbed; Daniel R. McLeod

doi:10.1016/S0165-1781(97)00037-1

Does muscle tension reflect arousal? Relationship between electromyographic and electroencephalographic recordings

Rudolf Hoehn-Saric, Richard L. Hazlett, Tahere Pourmotabbed, Daniel R. McLeod

School of Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Increased muscle tension and heightened arousal are the most consistent finding in patients with anxiety disorders. This study examined the relationship between frontalis and gastrocnemius electromyographic (EMG) and electroencephalographic activity on 14 female generalized anxiety disorder patients and 14 female control subjects. In GAD patients, gastrocnemius but not frontalis EMG was correlated with right but not left hemisphere activity. For the non-anxious subjects, there was a pattern for both β₁ and β₂ waves to be positively associated with both frontalis and gastrocnemius muscle tension levels. The results, while preliminary, suggest that EMG activity may reflect central nervous system arousal.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	49-55
Number of pages	7
Journal	Psychiatry research
Volume	71
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-1781(97)00037-1
State	Published - May 16 1997

Keywords

Arousal
EEG
Generalized anxiety disorder
Muscle
Psychophysiology
Tension

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Psychiatry and Mental health
Biological Psychiatry

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10.1016/S0165-1781(97)00037-1

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abstract = "Increased muscle tension and heightened arousal are the most consistent finding in patients with anxiety disorders. This study examined the relationship between frontalis and gastrocnemius electromyographic (EMG) and electroencephalographic activity on 14 female generalized anxiety disorder patients and 14 female control subjects. In GAD patients, gastrocnemius but not frontalis EMG was correlated with right but not left hemisphere activity. For the non-anxious subjects, there was a pattern for both β1 and β2 waves to be positively associated with both frontalis and gastrocnemius muscle tension levels. The results, while preliminary, suggest that EMG activity may reflect central nervous system arousal.",

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AU - Hoehn-Saric, Rudolf

AU - Hazlett, Richard L.

AU - Pourmotabbed, Tahere

AU - McLeod, Daniel R.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by NIMH grants MH35435-02 and MH42579-03.

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AB - Increased muscle tension and heightened arousal are the most consistent finding in patients with anxiety disorders. This study examined the relationship between frontalis and gastrocnemius electromyographic (EMG) and electroencephalographic activity on 14 female generalized anxiety disorder patients and 14 female control subjects. In GAD patients, gastrocnemius but not frontalis EMG was correlated with right but not left hemisphere activity. For the non-anxious subjects, there was a pattern for both β1 and β2 waves to be positively associated with both frontalis and gastrocnemius muscle tension levels. The results, while preliminary, suggest that EMG activity may reflect central nervous system arousal.

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KW - Psychophysiology

KW - Tension

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Does muscle tension reflect arousal? Relationship between electromyographic and electroencephalographic recordings

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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