Characteristics of skin conductance in patients with spinal-cord transections

Skin conductance levels (SCLs) and responses (SCRs) were recorded bilaterally from the plantar aspect of the halluces in a normal group of five individuals and in ten individuals with functionally complete transections of the cervical or thoracic spinal cord. All persons were seen for at least four recording sessions. Compared with the normal group, SCLs were significantly lower In the cervical and thoracic spinal-cord transected groups. Fewer non-specific SCRs were observed in the cervical and thoracic spinal-cord transected groups than in the normal group. The non-specific SCR of the normal group was characterized by a high degree of synchrony from limb to limb. The non-specific SCR of the cervical and thoracic spinal-cord transected groups was characteristically asynchronous. It was demonstrated that SCRs could be elicited by shock stimuli and could not be elicited by an imperative, light stimulus. The SCRs of the cervical and thoracic spinal-cord transected groups elicited by shock stimuli were characteristically asynchronous and SCRs were more frequently elicited in the foot which was stimulated than in the contralateral foot. Stability of mean basal SCLs and total number of nonspecific SCRs were assessed and found to be significantly stable across the four recording sessions for the combined cervical and thoracic spinal-cord transected groups.