Studies on the Autonomic Psychophysiology of Lipid Mobilization

Abstract

This research has been designed with an awareness of the following questions which continue to plague clinical psychophysiology and psychosomatic medi cine (19, 22): 1) Are particular physiological res ponses to stress related to specific psy chological responses to stress?2) How is physiological response re lated to the way the subject is told to perceive the stress and to the set he brings to the experiment from his per sonal experience and culture (in its cons cious and unconscious dimensions), and to the affect and coping behaviour arou sed?3) If such relationships can be estab lished in grouped subjects, do they apply to individuals and are they consistent for individuals over time? These questions must be answered before we can postu late that the effects of a brief stress ex periment constitute a fraction of the en during stress which contributes to illness. Mechanism of FFA mobilization secondary to stressThis paper summarizes studies which explore the relationships between some psychological variables and changes in plasma free fatty acid levels. These changes have been presumed to indicate changes in catecholamine activity and lipid mobilization.

The Lactate Theory of Anxiety: A Review and Reevaluation

“…et al(30) andPinter et al (31) demonstrated that rises in free fatty acid (FFA) could be consistently produced by hypnotically suggesting the emotion of anxiety to normal, hypnotized subjects. Pretreatment with propranolol could prevent the rise in FFA but not the subjective anxiety, as measured by Gottschalk-Gleser Affect Scores.…”

5 Stressor‐induced Changes in Plasma Lipids and Urinary Excretion of Catecholamines, and Their Modification by Nicotinic Acid

“…This study has clearly shown that increased plasma-triglyceride levels, and probably an increased sympathoadrenomedullary activity, are readily induced even by a work situation which is not real but simulated, of short duration and moderate intensity. It is tempting to speculate about the effects of the socioeconomic or other real-life stressors, which may be repeated over months and years and surely may represent a threat to the individual far exceeding that implied in our laboratory situation (Friedman et al, 1958;Levi, 1967 b andc, 1971;Raab, 1966;Cleghorn et al, 1969). The frequent finding of elevated levels of triglycerides in plasma from patients with coronary heart disease are worth considering in this context (cf.…”