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Drug Effects on Biofeedback




Although there are excellent textbook chapters and review articles summarizing drug effects on the EEG, there are no comparable resources for blood volume pulse (BVP), electrodermal activity (EDA), electromyography (EMG), respiration rate, and skin temperature (TEMP). The main reason for this knowledge gap is that few studies have directly examined the pharmacological effects of medications and social drugs on these biofeedback measurements. This post is a work in progress with several caveats. The tables are incomplete due to the difficulty of identifying relevant human studies. No studies directly measured BVP, EMG, or skin temperature. Instead, they evaluated muscle relaxation and peripheral circulation. We caution our readers to avoid conflating muscle relaxation with EMG and peripheral circulation with BVP and skin temperature. Drug class members may produce varying physiological changes, sometimes in opposing directions. Finally, individual drug responses can vary widely and may depend on factors like dosage, other drugs, physiology, and health.

Blood Volume Pulse (BVP) and Temperature (TEMP)

Vasodilation may result in increased BVP and skin temperature.

Peripheral Circulation Effects



References

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Electrodermal Activity (EDA)


EDA Drug Effects


References

Dawson, M. E., Schell, A. M., & Filion, D. L. (2000). The electrodermal system. In J. T. Cacioppo, L. G. Tassinary, & G. G. Berntson (Eds.), Handbook of psychophysiology (pp. 200–223). Cambridge University Press.

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Electromyography (EMG)


Muscle relaxation and reduced muscle spasms may reduce EMG.

Skeletal Muscle Drug Effects

References

Alleyne, J., & Dopico, A. M. (2021). Alcohol use disorders and their harmful effects on the contractility of skeletal, cardiac and smooth Muscles. Advances in Drug and Alcohol Research, 1, 10011. https://doi.org/10.3389/ADAR.2021.10011 Griffin, C. E., 3rd, Kaye, A. M., Bueno, F. R., & Kaye, A. D. (2013). Benzodiazepine pharmacology and central nervous system-mediated effects. The Ochsner Journal, 13(2), 214–223. PMID: 23789008 Gruenthal, M., Mueller, M., Olson, W. L., Priebe, M. M., Sherwood, A. M., & Olson, W. H. (1997). Gabapentin for the treatment of spasticity in patients with spinal cord injury. Spinal cord, 35(10), 686–689. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3100481 Katzung, B. G., & Trevor, A. J. (2020). Basic and clinical pharmacology (15th ed.). McGraw-Hill Professional. Zajicek, J., Fox, P., Sanders, H., Wright, D., Vickery, J., Nunn, A., Thompson, A., & UK MS Research Group (2003). Cannabinoids for treatment of spasticity and other symptoms related to multiple sclerosis (CAMS study): Multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet, 362(9395), 1517–1526. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(03)14738-1

Respiration Rate


Respiration Rate Drug effects


References

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