THE SYNCHRONIZATION OF ELECTRODERMAL ACTIVITY AND HEART-RATE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ENERGETIC AROUSAL - A TIME-SERIES APPROACH

We examined the synchronization between indices of autonomic nervous s ystem (ANS) function and its relation to multiple measures of arousal in 37 middle-aged men. Electrodermal activity (EDA), heart rate (HR), and subjective and behavioral arousal were measured during administrat ion of the Rorschach test. Prevailing mood and depression were also me asured. The relationship between phasic EDA and HR activity was assess ed by constructing within-subjects time series models. The results sho wed that phasic EDA and HR accelerations were synchronized, while ther e was no association between tonic EDA and HR in between-subjects anal ysis. In addition, EDA-HR synchronization was positively associated wi th verbal activity, variability of arousal experience, and activation mood, and negatively associated with depression. It is suggested that within-subjects analysis of physiological time series data can further our understanding of the individual differences in ANS function and o n the correlates of effector organ synchronization. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.