Curare reveals central rather than peripheral factor determining cardiac orienting reflex

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Abstract
The purpose of these experiments was to determine to what extent the cardiac acceleration ordinarily associated with the movement to a novel stimulus (orienting reflex) or to a conditional reflex (pain or food) is dependent upon the accompanying muscular movement and to what extent upon the CNS excitation. In dogs previously studied, curare was given to eliminate or diminish the movement. An auditory stimulus (bell) was used to elicit the orienting reflex in both controls and curarized animals. Motor components that were seen normally were abolished or greatly diminished. In spite of the lack of movement, however, the cardiac acceleration to the bell was approximately the same under curare as without curare. Our conclusion is that the cardiac component in the orienting reflex to novel stimuli is primarily a result of CNS excitation and not due to the degree of muscular movement.

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