Is somatization a habituation disorder? Physiological reactivity in somatization syndrome

The present study investigates whether physiological activity may play a pa rt in maintaining the amplified perception of bodily processes typical for somatization. Eighty-one persons were classified into three groups by means of a structured clinical interview: 24 patients with somatization syndrome , 34 patients with somatization syndrome and comorbid major depression, and 23 healthy controls. Subjects completed four blocks of an attentional task , each of the blocks separated by resting periods. Physiological patterns d emonstrated higher activity during mental tasks than during rest. The heart rate deceleration after changing from mental challenge to rest was less pr onounced in the groups of patients with somatization syndrome than in contr ols. Moreover, patients with somatization syndrome reported feeling more an d more tense during the investigation, while controls showed the tendency t o habituate. The effects of heart rate and of feelings of tension partly re plicated earlier findings, and demonstrated that physiological activity may interact with psychological processes in somatization. (C) 2001 Elsevier S cience Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.