Airway response to emotion- and disease-specific films in asthma, blood phobia, and health

Earlier research found autonomic and airway reactivity in asthma patients when they were exposed to blood-injection-injury (BII) stimuli. We studied oscillatory resistance (R-os) in asthma and BII phobia during emotional and disease-relevant films and examined whether muscle tension counteracts emotion-induced airway constriction. Fifteen asthma patients, 12 BII phobia patients, and 14 healthy controls viewed one set of negative, positive, neutral, BII-related, and asthma-related films with leg muscle tension and a second set without. R-os, ventilation, cardiovascular activity, and skin conductance were measured continuously. R-os was higher during emotional compared to neutral films, particularly during BII material, and responses increased from healthy over asthmatic to BII phobia participants. Leg muscle tension did not abolish R-os increases. Thus, the airways are particularly responsive to BII-relevant stimuli, which could become risk factors for asthma patients.