Modification of Human Gastric Acid Secretion With Operant‐conditioning Procedures1

Abstract

In an attempt to control gastric acid secretion with operant-conditioning techniques, four normal women were given visual feedback on gastric pH plus money reinforcers.When money was made dependent on increased secretion in a differential-reinforcementof-high-rates schedule, the rate of secretion of three of the four subjects increased to three times baseline. When money was then made dependent on decreased secretion in a differential-reinforcement-of-other-behaviors schedule, the rate of secretion of these three subjects returned to baseline levels. Heart rate, respiratory frequency, abdominal electromyographic activity, and stomach motility (measured by the electrogastrogram method) were not consistently correlated with acid secretion across subjects, although individual subjects showed substantial correlations between acid secretion and one or more other physiological response.DESCRIPTORS: gastric acid secretion, operant conditioning of gastric acid secretion, gastric pH, biofeedback, differential reinforcement of high rate to increase gastric acid secretion, DRO to reduce gastric acid secretion, visceral learning A variety of autonomic responses have been modified with operant-conditioning procedures (Miller, 1969;Shapiro and Schwartz, 1972). Miller (1969) and others have called attention to the possible value of these techniques in the treatment of psychophysiologic disorders. Successful clinical applications have included elimination of ruminative vomiting (Lang and Melamed, 1969), reduction in cardiac arrhythmias (Weiss and Engel, 1971), and reduction of blood pressure in essential hypertension (

Psychosomatic Syndromes, Somatization and Somatoform Disorders

“…The rate of gastric secretion can be reduced by visual biofeedback [86,87], It is unknown whether biofeedback is effective in NUD.…”

Biofeedback Therapy for Defecation Disorders

“…Interestingly, this modality was first applied to treat neuromuscular disorders [7], Among the first applications in gastroen terology were attempts to achieve control over gastric acid secretion. These studies not only demonstrated the principles of biofeedback therapy, but also its problems and its limita tions [8][9][10][11], Studies were also performed to control gas tric motility but proved elusive [12][13][14], Oth er applications of biofeedback therapy were only marginally successful. Among them was the attempt to alter lower esophageal sphinc ter pressure in normal subjects and in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease [15].…”

Voluntary Control of Electrogastric Activity

“…This is surprising in view of the fact that many of the earliest demonstrations of visceral discrimination (1) and control (2,3) dealt specifically with changes in the gastrointestinal system. Furthermore, several studies have indicated that operantconditioning techniques may be useful in the treatment of a variety of gastrointestinal disorders such as ruminative vomiting (4), fecal incontinence (5), and ulcers (6)(7)(8).…”

“…One major problem is that it is difficult to ensure immediate feedback to the subject. Even when this problem is overcome, however (8), questions arise regarding both the psychological and the physiological impact of these invasive methods.…”

“…For this reason, a discriminative paradigm was used. Few investigators of the gastrointestinal system have included measurements of other physiological systems (with the notable exception of Whitehead et al [8]); therefore, peripheral blood flow, abdominal electromyogram (EMG), respiration, and heart rate were monitored in the present studies in addition to EGG to allow assessment of the physiological concomitants of learned control of gastrointestinal activity in each individual.…”