Cardiovascular and Biochemical Effects of Chronic Intermittent Neurogenic Stimulation

Abstract

Investigators have called attention to the unresolved psychologic conflicts which give rise to chronic emotional tension which they believe are specific etiological factors in the development of such diseases as hypertension, coronary vascular disease and gastrointestinal ulcers in man (1–3). Selye (4–6) has postulated that organisms subjected to alarming stimuli will respond in a given manner, which he termed “the general adaptation syndrome” or “stress syndrome.” Barry and Buckley (7) have reviewed in detail the effects of exposing animals to stress upon their behavioral performance as well as physiological, biochemical, and endocrinological function. Various types of stimuli can act as the systemic stressors and produce all three stages of the general adaptation syndrome. Audiogenic stimuli have been found to induce cardiovascular changes (8,9), changes in adrenal weights and adrenal ascorbic acid (10) and death (11). Herrington and Nelbach (12) exposed rats to a complex type of stimulation including audiogenic and cage vibration and observed changes in the experimental animals similar to those produced by thyroid overdosage. Hudak and Buckley (13) modified this procedure and subjected rats to a combination of audiogenic stimuli, visual stimuli, and motion.