Autonomic Nervous System Responses Related to the Funkenstein Test

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Abstract
A series of measures of autonomic nervous system activity during rest and after subcutaneous injection of 5 mg of mecholyl in chloride solution was obtained on 46 male cancer patients. Skin resistance and respiration were continuously recorded. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, heart period, finger, forehead, and back of hand temperatures, sublingual temperature, salivary output, salivary pH, and pupillary diameter were measured at specific time intervals before and after mecholyl injection. Statistical analyses of the data support the following conclusions: (1) The drop in systolic blood pressure induced by mecholyl brings into action sympathetic compensatory mechanisms, especially increased heart rate and peripheral vasocon-striction, which tend to counteract the hypotension; (2) with increasing age there is an apparent decrease in sympathetic excitability; (3) systolic blood pressure response to mecholyl is indicative of total ANS reactivity to some extent only. The relationship is not high. One or a few measures do not provide a valid index of autonomic reactivity; (4) neither resting levels nor initial reaction appears to be related to a secondary overcompensatory systolic blood pressure response to mecholyl.

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