Catechol Amine and Psychologic Correlates of Vascular Responses

Abstract

THE relation of acute and chronic emotional stresses to vascular responses has been repeatedly observed. This relation has been attributed to the firing of cortical impulses into lower centers regulating cardiovascular activity. Autonomie activity and humoral discharges have been implicated as the mediators of vascular responses activated by cortical and hypothalamic areas. However, a major difficulty has been the establishing of exact psychophysiologic correlates in relating psychologic events, biochemical changes and vascular responses.Funkenstein's¹ work associated the outward expression of anger with blood-pressure increases and secretion of nor-epinephrinelike substances. On the other hand, anxiety or anger directed at oneself was . . .