The autonomic spectrum questionnaire: A factor analysis.

In order to investigate the potential role of autonomic imbalance in mental and physical disorders, it would be useful to have a relevant self-report measure. The authors developed the Autonomic Spectrum Questionnaire for this purpose. The authors administered the Autonomic Spectrum Questionnaire and other measures to 801 college students. They conducted a factor analysis on the questionnaire, determined its score distribution and examined its convergent validity with the other measures. The Autonomic Spectrum Questionnaire has three factors and one second order factor. It yields a range of scores from highly parasympathetic dominant to highly sympathetic dominant and has good convergent validity with measures of posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety. The Autonomic Spectrum Questionnaire has three factors and good convergent validity. It appears to be a useful measure for studying autonomic nervous system imbalance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]