Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Activity in the Proximal-distal Colonic Reflex of Dogs

Relationships were examined between outflows of the lumbar colonic nerve (LCN) and rectal branch of the pelvic nerve (RB) and distal colonic motility (DCM) during proximal colonic distension in anesthetized and decerebrate dogs. Distension of the proximal colon (PC) reflexively elicited an increase in outflows of both the LCN and RB, often accompanied with an initial inhibition followed by an augmentation of DCM. Increasing responses in both the RB outflow and DCM were demonstrable after transection of the brain stem at the subcollicular level, but they disappeared after midpontine transection just caudal to the pontine defecation reflex center. The afferent pathways mainly involved the vagus nerves and partly the abdominal sympathetic nerves. While the increase in the outflow of the LCN and inhibition of DCM remained after bilateral cervical vagotomy as well as spinal transection (Th 6-7), but they disappeared after destruction of the spinal cord. These results indicate that the pontine defecation reflex center is an indispensable to the proximal-distal colonic augmentative reflex, while the inhibitory reflex originates in the spinal cord

Effects of skipping meals on the psychological state

欠食が心理状態にどのような影響を及ぼすのかを検討するために，５１人の看護学生を対象に調査を行った． 一日にわたって，午前の授業開始前・午前の授業終了直後・午後の授業開始前・午後の授業終了直後に，１０項目で構成される質問紙を用いて，今の心理状態について回答するように学生に依頼した． この結果を因子分析したところ，２因子が抽出され，第１因子を「やる気に関する因子」，第２因子を「精神状態の安定に関する因子」と解釈した．因子ごとに因子得点を欠食のある学生とない学生で比較した． 朝食を欠食した学生は，摂取している学生に比べて，授業開始前にやる気が低い傾向にあり，精神的には不安定な状態であることがわかった． 昼食を欠食した学生は，摂取している学生に比べて，授業開始前にやる気が有意に低かった． やる気と精神状態の安定に関する２因子は，欠食による影響を受けることが示唆された．Effects of skipping meals on psychological state were studied in ５１ nursing students. The students were asked to answer a １０-item questionnaire about their psychological state before the beginning of morning classes, immediately after the end of morning classes, before the beginning of afternoon classes, and immediately after the end of afternoon classes. As a result of factor analysis of the answers to the questionnaire, two factors were extracted, and the first and second factors were interpreted as“a factor related to motivation”and“a factor related to the stability of the mental state”, respectively. The score of each factor was compared between the students who had eaten meals and those who had skipped them. Before the morning classes, motivation toward classes tended to be lower, and the mental state was less stable, in the students who had skipped breakfast than in those who had eaten it. Before the afternoon classes, motivation toward classes was significantly lower in the students who had skipped lunch than in those who had eaten it. The two factors related to motivation and the stability of the mental state were suggested to be affected by skipping meals

Effects of Vesical Distention on Parasympathetic Outflow to the Colon of Dogs

The vesico-colonic reflex transmitted via the pelvic nerve was studied in dogs and it was found that the reflex consists of four elemental components. 1. Vesical distention produced an inhibition of rectal parasympathetic outflow without eliciting any vesical parasympathetic outflow in decerebrated and spinal dogs. 2. An afterdischarge usually followed the inhibition. These results show that the sacral defecation reflex center is inhibited by vesical afferents, and produces a rebound excitation eliciting the afterdischarge. 3. An inhibition of the rectal outflow occurred simultaneously with waxing of the vesical outflow during constant afferent stimulation of the vesical and rectal branches of the pelvic nerve in dogs from which the colon and urinary bladder had been removed. This inhibition may be produced by an efference copy from the pontine micturition reflex center. Most recto-colonic branches of the nerve responded to vesical distention with these inhibitions and afterdischarge. Corresponding to these responses colonic motility was inhibited and/or enhanced. 4. Eleven of 26 recto-anal branches of the nerve responded to vesical distention with an enhanced outflow elicited simultaneously with an enhanced vesical outflow. This enhancement was abolished by transection of CI, which indicates that it may be caused by an efference copy from the pontine micturition reflex center

Skin temperature changes during a footbath in patients who had had a stroke with consequent sensory impairment.

AIM: The objectives of this study were to examine skin temperature changes on the unaffected and affected sides as well as changes in perceived temperature and comfort during a footbath in patients who had had a stroke with consequent sensory impairment. METHODS: The study used a quasi-experimental design in which the results of intervention for patients who had had a stroke and healthy adults were compared. The subjects were 20 patients who had had a stroke with consequent sensory impairment and 20 healthy adults. RESULTS: Before the footbath, the skin temperature of the dorsum of the foot on the affected side of the patient who had had a stroke was lower than that of the foot on the unaffected side. Five minutes after the start of the footbath, however, the relationship reversed, with the skin temperature on the affected side increasing in parallel with the water temperature. After the footbath, the dorsum skin temperature on the affected side was again lower than that on the unaffected side. In healthy adults, a difference was found in dorsum skin temperature between the left and right feet. In contrast with patients who had had a stroke, no reversal of the sides was found with the lower and higher temperature. CONCLUSION: Unlike in the healthy adults, the skin temperature of the patients who had had a stroke with consequent sensory impairment was susceptible to changes in the external environment. However, no significant changes in the physiological indices were seen, while perceived temperature and comfort remained at high levels after the footbath