Relaxation versus fractionation as hypnotic deepening: do they differ in physiological changes?

After rapid hypnotic induction, 12 healthy volunteers underwent hypnotic deepening with relaxation or with fractionation (without relaxation) in a random latin-square protocol. Electroencephalographic occipital alpha activity was measured, low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography was performed, and hemodynamics (stroke volume, heart rate, cardiac output, mean arterial blood pressure, forearm arterial flow and resistance) were monitored in basal conditions and after deepening. After relaxation, both forearm flow (-18%) and blood pressure (-4%) decreased; forearm resistance remained unchanged. After fractionation, a forearm flow decrease comparable to that recorded after relaxation was observed, but blood pressure remained unchanged, leading to an increase of forearm resistance (+51%). Central hemodynamics did not change. Alpha activity increased in the precuneus after fractionation only. In conclusion, both relaxation and fractionation have vasoconstrictor effects, but fractionation is also associated with an increase in peripheral resistance.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2012 Jul;60(3):338-55. Casiglia E, Tikhonoff V, Giordano N, Regaldo G, Facco E, Marchetti P, Schiff S, Tosello MT, Giacomello M, Rossi AM, De Lazzari F, Palatini P, Amodio P. Department of Medicine, University of Padova and Italian Centre for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Torino, Italy. edoardo.casiglia@unipd.it