The effect of cerebral electrotherapy on patients with anxiety neurosis

Richthofen, Carmen Lutetia von (1977) The effect of cerebral electrotherapy on patients with anxiety neurosis. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (28MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

The efficacy of cerebral electrotherapy in relieving the symptoms of anxiety neurosis was investigated in ten subjects with this condition. A blind cross-over experimental design, in which subjects received five consecutive days of active and five days of placebo treatment was employed, the order being counterbalanced. The subjects' experience of cutaneous sensation was identical for both treatment conditions. Anxiety levels were measured pre- and post-treatment using daily physiological and psychological measures. Weekly psychological measures, some of which were double-blind, were also obtained before and after each type of treatment as well as on one-week and one-month follow-up days. The results showed a statistically significant overall treatment effect, but no differences between active and placebo treatment. There was a post hoc finding of a significant correlation between response to the overall treatment procedure and high levels of extraversion as measured by the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI). The implications of these findings are that the therapeutic effectiveness of CET is attributable to the non-specific or placebo components of the treatment procedure and not to the direct effect of the electrical current on the brain. Furthermore, the personality dimensions of the EPI may be useful in predicting the degree of response to non-specific components inherent in the CET treatment procedure.

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