Activating (4), induce synchronization of the electroencephalogram (5), increase cortical positivity (6), blunt pain sensations (7), reduce anxiety (8, 9), and induce sleep (10) or even clinically significant syncope (11). Arousing emotional and pain stimuli elevate blood pressure (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18), and the central nervous system (CNS) inhibitory effects ofbarostimulation most simply can be seen to provide supplementary negative feedback, which, along with cardioinhibition and vasodilatation, helps to restore excessively elevated blood pressure to a safer level. Dworkin et al. (19) reported that rats escape from and avoid a mildly aversive trigeminal nucleus stimulus to a lesser degree when their blood pressure is pharmacologically elevated and that the effect can be abolished by denervation of the baroreceptors. They also showed that the impaired avoidance behavior persists into extinction, suggesting that, in addition to pain perception, anxiety is affected. In an extensive series of experiments using more conventional pain stimuli, Randich and Maixner (20) Abbreviations: CNS, central nervous system; CSPP, carotid sinus pulse pressure; PRES, phase-related external suction; EMG, electromyographic or electromyogram; G-G, Greenhouse-Geisser. ITo whom reprint requests should be addressed.
6329The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page charge payment. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. §1734 solely to indicate this fact.