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EFFECTS OF CONCURRENT MOTOR ACTIVITY ON THE UNCONDITIONED SALIVARY REFLEX
Author(s) -
Feather Ben W.,
Wells David T.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1966.tb02663.x
Subject(s) - swallowing , stimulation , psychology , saliva , reflex , tongue , audiology , anesthesia , neuroscience , medicine , surgery , pathology
This study tested the hypothesis that the relative amount of swallowing and mouth movement affects the amplitude, latency, and temporal course of the salivary unconditioned reflex (UR). Twenty‐four subjects were given three identical stimuli, which consisted of 3 cc of 0.5% citric acid, delivered to the left lateral margin of the posterior half of the tongue. The stimuli were administered under three different conditions for each subject: (1) swallowing and mouth movements permitted for the first 30 sec and prohibited for the second 30 sec following stimulation, (2) swallowing and mouth movements prohibited for the first 30 sec and permitted for the second 30 sec following stimulation, and (3) swallowing and mouth movements permitted for 60 sec following stimulation. Saliva was collected by a parotid capsule and measured by a sensitive, liquid displacement sialometer. Motor activity was monitored by electromyogram. There was a significantly greater (P < 0.01) amount of saliva secreted during periods of motor activity, regardless of time since stimulation. Voluntary inhibition of swallowing immediately after acid stimulation resulted in significantly longer and more variable UR latencies. Implications of these findings for studies on salivary conditioning are discussed.