Psychic and somatic anxiety: worries, somatic symptoms and physiological changes

Abstract

Contrary to self-reports, patients with generalized anxiety disorder exhibit increased muscle tension but not autonomic hyperarousal. Under stress they tend to react autonomically in a less flexible manner than normal controls. There is only a weak relationship, and in some instances a desynchrony, between physiological changes and perception of change. The inconsistencies between self-reports of physiological states and physiological recordings can be explained by alterations of body sensations through psychological factors, predominantly expectations of and attention to bodily states, that lead to perceptual distortions.