Patterns of psychophysiological change in the treatment of agoraphobia

Patterns of change and synchrony were studied in a group of 26 agoraphobics under-going a 12-week treatment program. Clinical, behavioral, physiological and subjective measures were taken at pre-, 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment and at 1-month follow-up.Clinically and statistically significant changes were found in all response systems and our results tentatively suggest that the order of change starts with behavioral and clinical measures followed by psychophysiological measures of which psysiological responsivity has the longest lag.Although the group as a whole changed synchronously, there was evidence of individual desynchrony between physiological and subjective measures of anxiety. The most common form this look was for SUDS to decline while heart rate increased. A closer look at desynchrony in the various time sequences revealed that both the form and occurrence of desynchrony vary according to phase of treatment and that time interval between assessment points might-be of crucial importance in the determination of synchrony-desynchrony.