Parasympathetic innervation of the pupil was studied in 30 alcoholics. Twelve alcoholics had cardiac vagal neuropathy. The resting pupillary diameters in this group were larger, and pupil responses to methacholine were greater, than in control subjects or alcoholics without vagal neuropathy. These observations imply that lesions in the parasympathetic supply to the pupil may occur in alcoholics...

The present study tested whether individual differences in autonomic nervous system functioning interact with environmental risk factors to predict adolescents' psychosocial functioning. The authors assessed skin conductance and respiratory sinus arrhythmia at rest and during laboratory stressors in 110 14-year-olds. Subsequently, adolescents and their mothers provided both questionnaire and da...

CONTEXT Although the pupil light reflex has been widely used as a clinical diagnostic tool for autonomic nervous system dysfunction, there is no systematic review available to summarize the evidence that the pupil light reflex is a sensitive method to detect parasympathetic dysfunction. Meanwhile, the relationship between parasympathetic functioning and hearing impairment is relatively unknown....

introduction: thymol has negative ionotropic effect on heart and has direct effect on calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum. some of the herbal plants just like carum copticum consist of thymol. the postganglionic neurons of the gastrointestinal parasympathetic system are located mainly in the myenteric and submucosal plexuses. stimulation of these parasympathetic nerves causes general in...

The return trip often seems shorter than the outward trip even when the distance and actual time are identical. To date, studies on the return trip effect have failed to confirm its existence in a situation that is ecologically valid in terms of environment and duration. In addition, physiological influences as part of fundamental timing mechanisms in daily activities have not been investigated...

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls body functions that can proceed independent of volitional activity . The system consists of a somatic afferent pathway, a central nervous system (CNS) integrating complex (brain and spinal cord), and two distinct efferent limbs (sympathetic and parasympathetic) each made up of preganglionic and postganglionic neurones . The viscera are innervated by b...

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) has been implicated in the development, survival, and maintenance of a broad range of neurons and glia in the peripheral nervous system and the CNS. Evidence also suggests that CNTF may affect development of cells outside the nervous system. We have found that functional CNTF and its receptor are expressed in developing embryonic chick heart and may be involve...