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Attenuation of Baroreflexes During Operant Cardiac Conditioning
Author(s) -
Engel Bernard T.,
Joseph James A.
Publication year - 1982
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.1469-8986.1982.tb02511.x
Subject(s) - operant conditioning , psychology , baroreflex , heart rate , conditioning , phenylephrine , shock (circulatory) , anesthesia , medicine , blood pressure , reinforcement , social psychology , statistics , mathematics
Three monkeys were trained to slow and to speed heart rate on an operant schedule. After the animals were performing highly reliably they received injections of nitroglycerin or phenylephrine to elicit baroreflexes during control periods and during slowing or speeding sessions. The findings were that each animal reliably attenuated its baroreflex sensitivity and thereby avoided shock. Thus, the data showed that under appropriate behavioral conditions homeostatic adjustments of the cardiovascular system are reduced.