Hypnotizability dependent autonomic modulation during a low attentional task

Hypnotizability-dependent changes in heart rate and blood pressure in the time domain were studied during low attentional tasks in subjects with high or low hypnotic susceptibility watching a relaxing and an alerting movie. All participants reported relaxation during the former, while only part of them was stressed by the latter. During relaxation hypnotizability did not modulate mean heart rate and blood pressure, but affected the variability of the latter, which indirectly indicates differences in the autonomic pattern associated with the low attentional relaxing movie with respect to simple relaxation and highlighted the hypnotizability-related role of the emotional content associated with a relaxation response. In line with previous studies the results suggested a role for hypnotizability in the control of the vascular resistance.