Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-tj2md Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T18:04:52.370Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Physiological Basis of the Carbon Dioxide Therapy of Psychoneuroses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2018

E. Gellhorn
E. Gellhorn*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Neurophysiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The present investigation belongs to a series of studies (1) in which an attempt has been made to contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms underlying those forms of therapy of mental diseases which directly involve physiological mechanisms.† In the previous work an experimental analysis was performed in order to determine the common factor involved in the various forms of so-called shock therapy. It was found that all forms of this therapy produced in the experimental animal an increased reactivity of the centres of the sympathetic system to direct (2) and reflex stimulation (3). Chronic experiments (4) also showed that these alterations in autonomic reactivity persisted for a long period of time if the “therapy” (e.g., electroshock) was applied repeatedly as it is commonly done in the human patient. Special experiments revealed that increased sympathetic reactivity can be demonstrated in the hypothalamus (5).

Type
Part I.—Original Articles
Information
Journal of Mental Science , Volume 99 , Issue 416 , July 1953 , pp. 357 - 373
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1953 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1a Gellhorn, E., “The Action of Hypoglycemia on the Central Nervous System and the Problem of Schizophrenia from the Physiologic Point of View,” J. Amer. med. Ass., 1938, 110, 1433–1434.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
1b Idem , “Effects of Hypoglycemia and Anoxia on the Central Nervous System,” Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 1938, 40, 125–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
1c Idem , “The Physiological Basis of Shock Therapy,” Proc. Roy. Soc. Med. Suppl., 1949, 42, 55–65.Google Scholar
1d Idem and Darrow, C. W., “The Action of Metrazol on the Autonomic Nervous System,” Arch. int. Pharmacodyn., 1939, 62, 114–128.Google Scholar
1e Idem, Autonomic Regulations, 1943. New York: Interscience, Inc.Google Scholar
1f Idem, The Physiological Foundations of Neurology and Psychiatry, 1953. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.Google Scholar
2 Idem , Kiely, W. F., and Hamilton, S. L., “Influence of Carbon Dioxide on the Excitability of the Vasomotor Center in Hypoglycemia,” Amer. J. Physiol., 1940, 130, 256–260.Google Scholar
3a Idem, Ingraham, R. C., and Moldavsky, L., “The Influence of Hypoglycemia on the Sensitivity of the Central Nervous System to Oxygen Want,” J. Neurophysiol., 1938, 1, 301–312.Google Scholar
3b Ingraham, R. C., and Gellhorn, E., “Role of Adrenals in Blood Pressure Reaction to Anoxia during Insulin Hypoglycemia,” Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med., 1939, 40, 315–319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4 Gellhorn, E., and Safford, H., “Influence of Repeated Anoxia, Electroshock and Insulin Hypoglycemia on Reactivity of Sympathetico-adrenal System,” Soc. exp. Biol. Med., 1948, 68, 74–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5 Idem , “Physiological and Pharmacological Investigations on the Nature of Hypothalamic Excitation,” Amer. J. Psychiat., 1941, 97, 944–951.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6 Hoskins, R. G., The Biology of Schizophrenia, 1946. New York.Google Scholar
7a Funkenstein, D. H., Greenblatt, M., and Solomon, H. C., “A Test which Predicts the Clinical Effects of Electric Shock Treatment on Schizophrenic Patients,” Amer. J. Psychiat., 1950, 106, 889–901.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7b Iidem , “Autonomic Nervous System Changes following Electric Shock Treatment,” J. nerv. ment. Dis., 1951, 108, 409–422.Google Scholar
7c Iidem , “Autonomic Changes Paralleling Psychologic Changes in Mentally Ill Patients,” ibid., 1951, 114, 1–18.Google Scholar
8 Murphy, J. P., and Gellhorn, E., “Influence of Hypothalamic Stimulation on Cortically Induced Movements and Action Potentials of the Cortex,” J. Neurophysiol., 1945, 8, 341–364.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9a Gellhorn, E., and Ballin, H. M., “The Effect of Afferent Impulses on Hypothalamic Potentials,” Amer. J. Physiol., 1946, 146, 630–635.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9b Iidem , “Role of Afferent Impulses in Experimental Convulsions,” Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 1948, 59, 718–733.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10a Idem , “Experimental Contribution to the Duplicity Theory of Consciousness and Perception,” Arch. ges. Physiol., 1952, 255, 75–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10b Idem and Bernhaut, M., “Physiology of Arousal Reaction,” Fed. Proc., 1951, 10, 48–49.Google Scholar
10c Bernhaut, M., Gellhorn, E., and Rasmussen, A. T., “Experimental Contributions to the Problem of Consciousness,” J. Neurophysiol., 1953, 16, 21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10d Starzl, T. E., Taylor, C. W., and Magoun, H. W., “Ascending Conduction in Reticular Activating System, with Special Reference to the Diencephalon,” J. Neurophysiol., 1951, 14, 461–477.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10e Lindsley, D. B., Bowden, J. W., and Magoun, H. W., “Behavioral and E.E.G. Changes following Chronic Brain Stem Lesions,” E.E.G. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1950, 2, 483–498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11a Kessler, M., and Gellhorn, E., “Effect of Electrically and Chemically Induced Convulsions on Conditioned Reflexes,” Amer. J. Psychiat., 1943, 99, 687–691.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6 Gellhorn, E., and Minatoya, H., “The Effect of Insulin Hypoglycemia on Conditioned Reflexes,” J. Neurophysiol., 1943, 6, 161–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6c Idem , “Further Investigations on the Recovery of Inhibited Conditioned Reactions,” Proc. Soc. exp. Biol., 1945, 59, 155–161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6d Idem , “Is Restoration of Inhibited Conditioned Reactions by Insulin Coma Specific for Pavlovian Inhibitions?,” Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 1946, 56, 216–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6e Idem , “Role of Adrenalin in Recovery of Inhibited Conditioned Reactions,” Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med., 1947, 64, 375–377. J. Idem, “ Factors Modifying Conditioned Reactions and their Relation to the Autonomic Nervous System,” New York Academy of Sciences, 1952, 56, 200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12 Meduna, L. J., Carbon Dioxide Therapy, 1950. Springfield.Google Scholar
13 Kornmüller, A. E., and Noell, W., “Über den Einfluss der Kohlensäurespannung auf bioelektrische Hirnrindenphänomene,” Arch. ges. Physiol., 1944, 247, 660–684.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14 Gellhorn, E., “The Effect of Oxygen Lack, Variations in the Carbon Dioxide Content of the Inspired Air, and Hyperpnea on Visual Intensity Discrimination,” Amer. J. Physiol., 1936, 115, 679–684.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15 Idem and Spiesman, I. G., “The Influence of Hyperpnea and of Variations of O2 and CO2-Tension in the Inspired Air upon Hearing,” ibid., 1935, 112, 519–528.Google Scholar
16 Iidem , “The Influence of Hyperpnea and of Variations in the O2 and CO2 Tension in the Inspired Air upon After-images,” ibid., 1935, 112, 620–626.Google Scholar
17 Bremer, F., and Thomas, J., “Action de l'anoxémie, de l'hypercapnie et de l'acapnie sur l'activité électrique du cortex cérébral,” C. R. Soc. Biol., Paris, 1936, 123, 1256–1261.Google Scholar
18 Gellhorn, E., and Heymans, C., “Differential Action of Anoxia, Asphyxia and Carbon Dioxide on Normal and Convulsive Potentials,” J. Neurophysiol., 1948, 11, 261–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19 Idem and French, L. A., “Carbon Dioxide and Cortical Spike Frequency.” Arch. int. pharmacodyn, 1953.Google Scholar
20 Idem , “On the Physiological Action of Carbon Dioxide on Cortex and Hypothalamus,” EEG. Clin. Neurophysiol, 1953.Google Scholar
21a Koella, W. P., “Influence of Hypothalamic and Thalamic Lesions upon the Action of Nociceptive Impulses and CO2 on the Electroencephalogram,” Fed. Proc., 1952, 11, 85.Google Scholar
21b Idem and Gellhorn, E., “The Influence of Diencephalic Lesions upon the Action of Nociceptive Impulses and Hypercapnia on the Electrical Activity of the Cat's Brain.” J. Comp. Neur., 1953.Google Scholar
22 cf. 1, e, p. 165.Google Scholar
23 Gellhorn, E., and Redgate, E. S., unpublished observations.Google Scholar
24 Kessler, M., Hailman, H., and Gellhorn, E., “Studies on the Effect of Anoxic Anoxia on the Central Nervous System,” Amer. J. Physiol., 1943, 140, 291–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25 Schäfer, K. E., “Die Beeinflussung der Psyche und der Erregungabläufe im peripheren Nervensystem unter langdauernder Einwirkung von 3% CO2,” Arch. Physiol., 1949, 251, 716–725.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26 Gellhorn, E., “Autonomic Tests and their Significance for Prognosis and Therapy and Functional Psychoses.” In preparation, see also chapter XX in 1. f. above.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.