Changes in Electrodermal Activity Associated with Candies and Chewing Gum Chewing

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Psychosomatic Dentistry Vol. 9; no. 2; pp. 185 - 191
• Main Authors: Beppu Satoshi, Morita Takeshi, Igarashi Susumu, Seto Kanichi, Amemiya Yosihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Dentistry 1994; 日本歯科心身医学会
• Subjects: electrodermal activity; mastication; mental stress; 咀嚼; 皮膚電気活動; 精神的ストレス
• ISSN: 0913-6681; 2186-4128
• DOI: 10.11268/jjpsd1986.9.185

This study was designed to evaluate whether mental stress was decreased by candies and chewing gum chewing.The subjects consisted of 10 male students without malocclusion at Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine. The test material were a candy called Gummi (Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd., Gummi Grape 100®) and chewing gum produced for this study. Stress was imposed by the addition test method. Electrodermal activity (EDA) was evaluated by the exosomatic method. The subjects rested for 10 min after starting the experiment. Once changes in EDA stabilized, a control recording was made. Changes in EDA were then recorded while the subjects performed a 1-minute addition test (addition test group). Then changes in EDA during a 1-minute addition test were observed while the subjects chewed Gummi (Gummi group). After resting for 10 min, they chewed chewing gum for 5 min, and the changes in EDA while chewing chewing gum were observed (chewing gum group). The values of resistance in each group were evaluated at 10 sec intervals. The EDA was evaluated as percent change, with the value at the start of the addition test taken to be 100. The statistical significance of differences in response between the groups was assessed by Student's t-test.Although there was considerable inter-subject variation in resistance, the values at the start of the addition test were 768.1±208.5kΩ(mean±SE) in the addition test group, 436.1±98.5 kΩ in the Gummi group, and 425.5±88.7kΩin the chewing gum group. Maximal changes in these groups were observed after 10 sec and were 53.4±3.9%(mean±SE) in the addition test group, 76.4±4.1% in the Gummi group, and 68.8±6.7% in the chewing gum group.The rates of change after 60 sec recovered to 59.8±3.8% in the addition test group, 89.9±3.3% in the Gummi group, and 83.4±9.0% in the chewing gum group.The values in the addition test group were significantly different from those in the Gummi group and chewing gum group. The results indicate that mental stress during light activity is decreased by Gummi and chewing gum chewing.