Pituitary-Adrenal Stimulation by Sound of Different Frequencies

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Abstract
Nine healthy young men and 17 psychiatric patients were stimulated with pure sound for 1-hr periods. Sound frequencies of 125, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 cycles per second (cps) were tried, with intensities of 65–93 decibels. Substantial elevations in the free plasma 17-hydroxycorticoids (17-OHCS) were observed in the normal subjects with all frequencies, and higher values, between 20 and 24 μg (twice the normal levels), with 10,000 cps sound. Urinary 17-ketogenic steroid excretion also was markedly elevated. Particularly striking elevations in the plasma 17-OHCS levels were observed in psychoneurotic patients with anxiety, although depressive cases had either no elevation or a reduction c f corticoids. It is concluded that adrenal cortical function in man may be remarkably sensitive to auditory stimulation, probably through the effect of ACTH released by intense sound.

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