Laboratory and ambulatory monitoring of menopausal hot flashes.

A large increase in skin conductance activity recorded from the sternum was found during menopausal hot flashes and corresponded well with patient self-reports. The magnitude and time course of this skin conductance change was similar during spontaneous hot flashes recorded in the laboratory, during heat-induced hot flashes, and during those recorded by ambulatory monitoring techniques. This pattern of sternal skin conductance change did not occur in premenopausal women during body heating or ambulatory monitoring. These methods should be useful in research on the etiology and treatment of menopausal hot flashes.