1. Airway response to emotion- and disease-specific films in asthma, blood phobia, and health.
- Author
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Ritz, Thomas, Wilhelm, Frank H., Meuret, Alicia E., Gerlach, Alexander L., and Roth, Walton t.
- Subjects
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AIRWAY (Anatomy) , *PHOBIAS , *ASTHMATICS , *FEAR of blood , *ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHY , *PATIENTS - Abstract
Earlier research found autonomic and airway reactivity in asthma patients when they were exposed to blood-injection-injury (BII) stimuli. We studied oscillatory resistance (R) in asthma and BII phobia during emotional and disease-relevant films and examined whether muscle tension counteracts emotion-induced airway constriction. Fifteen asthma patients, 12 BII phobia patients, and 14 healthy controls viewed one set of negative, positive, neutral, BII-related, and asthma-related films with leg muscle tension and a second set without. R, ventilation, cardiovascular activity, and skin conductance were measured continuously. R was higher during emotional compared to neutral films, particularly during BII material, and responses increased from healthy over asthmatic to BII phobia participants. Leg muscle tension did not abolish R increases. Thus, the airways are particularly responsive to BII-relevant stimuli, which could become risk factors for asthma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
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