Exercise test in the neurotic patients

: While testing neurotic patients it was noted that almost all of their complaints concerned physical weakness, easy tiredness, chest pain, heart beating and palpitation. In order to evaluate objectively their physical efficiency, the patients were subjected to exercise test on a treadmill, their ECG, HR and blood pressure being monitored. The exercise test was carried out twice, i.e. before and after 3-month psychotherapy. The average physical efficiency coefficient before treatment was significantly lower than after the treatment, but repolarization disorders were significantly higher before the treatment. ECG analysis proved non-specific repolarization changes induced by excitability of sympathetic system. 8 patients showed changes in ST-T before the treatment and 4 persons after it. Another kind of changes (that appeared in 14 cases before the treatment) were extrasystoles mainly supraventricular. After psychotherapy they were noted only in 1 case. The analysis of HR and blood pressure proved a significantly higher HR and lower blood pressure before the treatment. The obtained results may become an argument supporting the functional character of the changes mentioned.