Urinary excretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline during prolonged immobilization.

Abstract

SS WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 1 WK. OF IMMOBILIZATION SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN SUBJECTIVE STRESS AND MOOD OR IN THE URINARY EXCRETION OF ADRENALINE AND NORADRENALINE (CATECHOLAMINES) RELATIVE TO RECUMBENT CONTROLS. THE CATECHOLAMINE EXCRETION OF THE IMMOBILIZATION QUITTERS WAS RELATED TO THEIR ENDURANCE. EARLY QUITTERS SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES; LATE QUITTERS SHOWED AN INCREASE, PARTICULARLY IN ADRENALINE EXCRETION. ANOTHER CHARACTERISTIC OF THE QUITTERS WAS THE PRESENCE OF A LOWER BASE-LINE LEVEL OF ADRENALINE, RELATIVE TO SUCCESSFUL SS AND RECUMBENT CONTROLS, NOT ONLY PRIOR TO IMMOBILIZATION BUT ALSO 2 MO. AFTER ITS TERMINATION. THE RESULTS ONLY BORDERED ON STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. A STRIKING IMILARITY WAS NOTED BETWEEN THESE RESULTS AND THOSE OBTAINED IN AN EARLIER STUDY INVOLVING 1 WK. OF PERCEPTUAL ISOLATION.

Behavioral and physiological changes during prolonged immobilization plus perceptual deprivation.

“…The results of the 12 successful, perceptually deprived immobilized Ss (IPD group), on the biochemical and affective measures, were compared with the results of 16 immobilized (I group) and 16 recumbent control 5s (RC group) from a recent study (Zubek, 1968) employing the same cofflnlike box, 1-wk. duration, and measures as the IPD group but using Ss exposed to normal visual and auditory stimulation.…”

“…In a series of experiments from the Manitoba laboratory (Zubek, 1968;Zubek & Mac-Neill, 1966;Zubek & Wilgosh, 1963), it has been shown that Ss whose level of kinestheticproprioceptive stimulation was reduced by immobilization but who otherwise were exposed to a normal and varied sensory environment for a week exhibited a variety of cognitive and perceptual-motor deficits, unusual subjective phenomena, a slowing of the electrical activity of the brain, a reduced urinary excretion of catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline), and no changes in subjective stress and mood. However, a comparison of the results of the immobilized 5s with those of control 5s revealed that most of the effects were associated with either the recumbent position or with a combination of recumbency and restricted motor activity.…”

Sensory restriction with isolation experiences in children with phenylketonuria.

“…One of the more striking findings is the tendency for some of the volunteer 5s to find the stress situation intolerable and to quit the experiment. Zubek (1968) recently reported that the "quitters" in his study excreted initially less urinary catecholamines than 5s who were able to tolerate the procedure for longer durations. This is of interest since a deficiency in epinephrine and norepinephrine is known to exist in PKU (Nadler & Hsia, 1961).…”

“…Fiske and Maddi (1961) have emphasized two features bearing on the severity of aftereffects: the degree of physical immobilization and the number of sense modalities affected. Zubek (1963aZubek ( , 1963bZubek ( , 1964aZubek ( , 1964bZubek ( , 1964cZubek ( , 1968) has elucidated the nature of immobilization by itself and in conjunction with other means of sensory restriction in adult volunteers. One of the more striking findings is the tendency for some of the volunteer 5s to find the stress situation intolerable and to quit the experiment.…”

Human Factors in Long-Duration Spaceflight

“…Among volunteers who quit the experiment, those who quit somewhat later in the deprivation period are very much more distressed than nonquitters or than people who quit very early (Zubek, 1968). These different levels of disturbances show up on a variety of measures including steroid outputs.…”