Background: Reaction time (RT) is an index of brain's biological efficiency. RT can indicate sensorimotor variability with varying foreperiods (FPs) and can indicate mental dysfunction like schizophrenia. Aims and Objective: Objective was to analyze the effect variable FPs on RTs in controls and schizophrenic patients. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai, on 80 normal controls and 80 schizophrenic patients in the age group of 20-50 years. Digital RT apparatus (RTM-608) manufactured by Bio-Tech., with a maximum resolution time of 0.0001 s was used. Auditory RT (ART) and visual RT (VRT) with randomly variable FPs (2, 4, and 6 s) were recorded in controls and schizophrenic patients. Results: Two-way ANOVA with replication in MS Office Excel was used to analyze results. ARTs and VRTs in schizophrenic patients were significantly slower than that in controls with P = 1.4336E-215 with F = 6779.53969 and P = 2.5966E-209 with F = 6161.152654, respectively. The condition effect was also significant with ARTs and VRTs, increasing in patients with increase in the FPs with P = 4.84285E-16 with F = 73.35131426 (ART) and P = 2.72532E-14 with F = 63.68037666 (VRT), respectively. The Group X condition interaction also was significant with P = 8.80207E-12 with F = 50.27084108 in case of ARTs and P = 1.21054E-10 with F = 44.36301991 in case of VRTs. Conclusion: This shows that variation in FPs results in slower RTs in schizophrenic patients than in controls.
Background: Autonomic function tests based on cardiovascular responses to stressors are simple and non-invasive methods to help the clinician to make a proper assessment of the state of autonomic nervous system so as to determine an appropriate line of treatment for patients considering the impact of hormonal changes in females during menstrual cycle. Aims and Objectives: To study cardiovascular response to stress in menstrual and follicular phases of menstrual cycle and to analyze the impact of menstrual phase on cardiovascular response to stress. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai on 30 normal healthy females between the age group of 18 and 26 years in menstrual and follicular phases with 24-32 days menstrual cycle. The tests performed were: Deep breathing test (expiration: inspiration [E:I] index), orthostatic tolerance test (postural index), Valsalva maneuver, isometric handgrip test (IHG), and cold pressor test (CPT). Results: Paired t-test was used for analysis. Values were expressed as a mean ± standard deviation. E:I index, postural index and Valsalva ratio were greater in follicular phase than in menstrual phase (P < 0.05). Rise in systolic and diastolic blood pressure due to IHG and CPT was greater in menstrual phase than in follicular phase (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Results indicated that there was increased cardiovascular response to stress during menstrual phase as compared to follicular phase.
Stress and stress-related disorders are emerging as a major health challenge. In the classical stress concept, stress can be broadly defined as an actual or anticipated disruption of homeostasis by certain physical and psychological events that are known as 'stressors' . Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to a destructive, self-perpetuating cascade of neuroendocrine, metabolic and neuropsychological alterations that play an important role in the development and progression of cardio-vascular disease (CVD) like hypertension. Dysregulation of stress system is causally linked to pathogenesis of essential hypertension, which involves over activity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and sympathoadrenal system (SAS) and resetting of baroreceptors as the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Evidence suggests that regular practice of yogasanas and pranayama appears to cause down-regulation of the HPA axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), increases vagal activity, improves baroreceptor sensitivity, and thereby helps to reduce blood pressure. Although the exact mechanism of beneficial effects of yoga are not known, evidence suggests that yogic intervention may be acting through multiple mechanisms simultaneously influencing diverse neural structures involved in the regulation of the neuroendocrine and the cardiovascular response to stress to cause neurohumoral modulations resulting in alleviation of stress and improvement in cardiovascular indices.
Background: Different studies conducted worldwide among medical students have reported the prevalence of stress ranging from 27% to 73%. Exam stress acts as an acute stressor which affects cognitive functions. It is found that the exam stress elicits elevated activity in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and increased release of cortisol. Aims and Objective: The study was planned to investigate gender difference in perceptions of exam stress and reactions to it among first-year medical students. Choice reaction time (CRT) was used to evaluate the cognitive performance of students during stress-free and stress (exam) conditions. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 60 healthy first year MBBS students (30 boys and 30 girls) between the age group of 18 and 20 years. Digital reaction time was used. Randomly occurring visual and auditory CRT tasks were presented to students. First set of readings was taken during stress-free period, and the second and third sets were taken 20 min before first and second terminal practical examination, respectively. Results: The readings were analyzed by unpaired Student's t-test. Results showed that visual and auditory reaction times were increased in both boys and girls with statistically significant difference between boys and girls in stress (exam) condition, but no difference during stress-free condition. Conclusion: The observation shows that girls tend to perceive more stress than boys which might affect the cognitive functions more, as slower reaction time was observed in girls than boys when they were exposed to stress.
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