RELAXOMETER

Typical Number in Hospital: 1

Cost Bands: 2,3

References:

This helps the subject to reduce his level of autonomic arousal. It produces an audible signal whose pitch varies with the level of activity in the autonomic nervous system. Skin resistance is measured with two simple surface electrodes and translated into a continuous tone. Excitement causes a drop in skin resistance and a rise in the pitch of the tone. When the subject hears the pitch drop he knows that he is relaxing. This can be a bench instrument or a pocket-worn device used with an ear plug. Such devices may sometimes be used in the speech therapy department.