Background: Autonomic function tests based on cardiovascular responses to stressors are simple and non-invasive methods to help the clinician to make a proper assessment of the state of autonomic nervous system so as to determine an appropriate line of treatment for patients considering the impact of hormonal changes in females during menstrual cycle. Aims and Objectives: To study cardiovascular response to stress in menstrual and follicular phases of menstrual cycle and to analyze the impact of menstrual phase on cardiovascular response to stress. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai on 30 normal healthy females between the age group of 18 and 26 years in menstrual and follicular phases with 24-32 days menstrual cycle. The tests performed were: Deep breathing test (expiration: inspiration [E:I] index), orthostatic tolerance test (postural index), Valsalva maneuver, isometric handgrip test (IHG), and cold pressor test (CPT). Results: Paired t-test was used for analysis. Values were expressed as a mean ± standard deviation. E:I index, postural index and Valsalva ratio were greater in follicular phase than in menstrual phase (P < 0.05). Rise in systolic and diastolic blood pressure due to IHG and CPT was greater in menstrual phase than in follicular phase (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Results indicated that there was increased cardiovascular response to stress during menstrual phase as compared to follicular phase.

Background: Reaction time (RT) is an index of brain's biological efficiency. RT can indicate sensorimotor variability with varying foreperiods (FPs) and can indicate mental dysfunction like schizophrenia. Aims and Objective: Objective was to analyze the effect variable FPs on RTs in controls and schizophrenic patients. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai, on 80 normal controls and 80 schizophrenic patients in the age group of 20-50 years. Digital RT apparatus (RTM-608) manufactured by Bio-Tech., with a maximum resolution time of 0.0001 s was used. Auditory RT (ART) and visual RT (VRT) with randomly variable FPs (2, 4, and 6 s) were recorded in controls and schizophrenic patients. Results: Two-way ANOVA with replication in MS Office Excel was used to analyze results. ARTs and VRTs in schizophrenic patients were significantly slower than that in controls with P = 1.4336E-215 with F = 6779.53969 and P = 2.5966E-209 with F = 6161.152654, respectively. The condition effect was also significant with ARTs and VRTs, increasing in patients with increase in the FPs with P = 4.84285E-16 with F = 73.35131426 (ART) and P = 2.72532E-14 with F = 63.68037666 (VRT), respectively. The Group X condition interaction also was significant with P = 8.80207E-12 with F = 50.27084108 in case of ARTs and P = 1.21054E-10 with F = 44.36301991 in case of VRTs. Conclusion: This shows that variation in FPs results in slower RTs in schizophrenic patients than in controls.