Temporalis exteroceptive suppression in generalized anxiety disorder and major depression

The duration abnormality of the exteroceptive suppressions, or silent perio ds, of peripheral or jaw-closing muscle activities induced by transcranial magnetic or trigeminal electrical stimuli in patients suffering from anxiet y or depression is ill-defined. We therefore studied the exteroceptive supp ression periods of the temporalis muscle electromyography elicited by trige minal territory electrical stimuli, Zuckerman-Kuhlman's Personality Questio nnaire, and Plutchik-van Praag's Depression Inventory (PVP) in 12 patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and 16 from major depress ion (MD) as well as in 17 healthy volunteers. Durations of the second suppr ession period (ES2) sociability scores were decreased in GAD patients, whil e PVP and neuroticism-anxiety scores were elevated in both GAD and MD patie nts. There was a positive correlation between ES2 duration and sociability score in the GAD group. This study indicates that anxiety can modify the te mporalis ES2 duration through cortical descending inhibitory controls. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.