Electrodermal activity in relation to diabetes, autonomic neuropathy and aging: a preliminary study

Abstract

A reduced electrodermal activity (EDA) may be related to autonomic neuropathy (AN). The aims of this study were to independently study the characteristics of the EDA and its correlation with diabetes and AN. During a selfdesigned test, mean skin conductance level (MSCL), mean skin conductance response (MSCR) to stimuli, and difference in MSCL between feet (DBF) were obtained through a modelbased decomposition based on Bayesian statistics and mathematical convex optimization. A group of 22 subjects were included for the final test. Diabetic patients were stratified based on their clinical history and care habits, dividing them into those out of risk and those at risk of developing AN. Statistical difference was found for the latter regarding MSCR (p < 0,01) and DBF (p < 0,05) with respect to the control group. While past research failed to address potential sources of interference with the EDA measurement, namely emotional state, degree of concentration on the task, and body posture, this study proposes a welldefined protocol to stimulate subjects and acquire proper and reliable EDA data.