HYPERACTIVE CARDIOINHIBITORY CAROTID SINUS REFLEX

Abstract

Within the past few years, since the publication of the comprehensive experimental work on the carotid sinus reflex by Hering¹and Heymans,²there has been some application of the knowledge regarding this reflex to clinical medicine. The most important contributions are those of Weiss and Baker,³Ferris, Capps and Weiss⁴and Weiss, Capps and Ferris.⁵They showed the relation of a hyperactive reflex to some of the unconscious and convulsive states in man. That unconsciousness and convulsions might be induced in some persons by pressing on a carotid artery at its bifurcation has been known for hundreds of years. Ask-Upmark⁶stated that the Assyrians used this method to dull pain during the rites of circumcision. The mechanism of its production, however, was not known until of late. Before the hyperactive cardioinhibitory carotid sinus reflex is considered, the normal carotid sinus mechanism with its various reflex responses