Study Overview
| Authors | Meinhausen C., Sanchez G.J., Robles T.F., Edmondson D., Kronish I.M., Hinrichs R., Jovanovic T., Sumner J.A. |
| Institution | Columbia University / UCLA / Emory University, USA |
| Journal | Depression and Anxiety (Wiley) |
| Year | 2023 (PubMed indexed 2024) |
| DOI | 10.1155/2023/6671337 |
| PubMed | PMID 39015247 |
| Product | eSense Skin Response |
| Participants | 64 stroke/TIA patients (prospective, 1-month follow-up) |
What was investigated?
In this prospective follow-up study, the same research group from Columbia University and UCLA investigated whether skin conductance reactivity — measured shortly after a stroke while still in the hospital — can predict the subsequent PTSD severity after one month. For the first time, a differentiated approach was pursued: The researchers distinguished between fear-based PTSD symptoms (anxiety, avoidance) and dysphoria-based symptoms (emotional numbness, low mood). This is the first prospective investigation examining physiological arousal reactivity as an early biomarker for stroke-induced PTSD.
Methods
64 adults were enrolled after stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) during their hospital stay. Skin conductance measurement was performed on average 1–2 days after the event. PTSD symptoms were assessed one month post-discharge using a structured interview, differentiating between various symptom dimensions: higher-order fear symptoms, anxious arousal, avoidance behavior, and dysphoria symptoms. Statistical analysis was performed using regression analyses adjusted for numerous potential confounders — including age, sex, stroke severity, medical comorbidities, and psychosocial factors.
Mindfield Product in this Study
The eSense Skin Response (Mindfield Biosystems, Berlin) was used at the bedside, connected to an iPad. The electrodes were placed on the middle phalanges of the index and middle fingers of the non-dominant hand. The protocol included a 2-minute resting baseline, followed by a standardized trauma interview with 15 questions about the stroke experience. Data acquisition was performed at a sampling rate of 10 Hz. Skin conductance response (SCR) was calculated as the difference between the baseline average and the maximum during the interview (in microsiemens). The methodological setup corresponds to that of the predecessor study Meinhausen et al. 2023.
Results
The researchers found significant positive associations between skin conductance reactivity measured in the hospital and fear-based PTSD symptoms after one month:
- Higher-Order Fear: r = 0.30; p = 0.016
- Anxious Arousal: r = 0.27; p = 0.035
- Avoidance: r = 0.25; p = 0.043
These associations remained statistically significant even after accounting for age, sex, stroke severity, medical comorbidities, and psychosocial factors. No significant association was found between skin conductance response and dysphoria-based PTSD symptoms (emotional numbness, low mood). The researchers interpret this as an indication that physiological arousal markers are specifically associated with the fear-based component of PTSD — not with the depressive component.
Significance
This study is the first prospective investigation examining physiological arousal reactivity as an early predictor for stroke-related PTSD — a field barely explored to date in psychophysiological medicine. The differentiated findings regarding the specificity of the association (only fear-based, not dysphoria-based symptoms) provide important theoretical insights into the neurobiology of medically induced trauma.
Practically significant: A simple, non-invasive skin conductance measurement of under 15 minutes at the bedside was able to capture statistically meaningful associations with PTSD outcomes after one month. This underscores the potential of mobile biosensors as screening instruments in acute clinical care.
Related Studies
Read the full study: