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Effects of Smoking on Vegetative Reactivity to Noise in Women
Author(s) -
Woodson Phillip P.,
Buzzi Roberto,
Nil Rico,
Báuttig Karl
Publication year - 1986
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.1469-8986.1986.tb00632.x
Subject(s) - tonic (physiology) , psychology , vasoconstriction , skin conductance , heart rate , audiology , noise (video) , sensitization , anesthesia , cardiology , medicine , neuroscience , blood pressure , artificial intelligence , computer science , biomedical engineering , image (mathematics)
Multichannel psychophysiological recording was used to monitor phasic stress reactivity to intermittent environmental noise bursts both before and after either real or sham smoking by women. Smoking induced heart rate acceleration, peripheral vasoconstriction, and increased pulse velocity. These tonic effects were accompanied by a suppression of noise‐induced tachycardia and a partial inhibition of noise‐induced vasoconstriction. Contrary to its activating effect on cardiovascular tonus, smoking lowered skin conductance amplitudes. Subjective stress to the successive noise bursts increased over time in the sham smokers but remained unchanged in real smokers, both prior to as well as after smoking. This lack of sensitization prior to real smoking may be a learned relaxation response based on anticipation. It was concluded that smoking not only shifts the tonus of vegetative functions but also partially stabilizes the system against external stress loads.