VASOMOTOR REACTIONS IN THE HYPNOTIC STATE

Abstract

Carmichael reported that a painful stimulus (several pin-pricks) or a cold stimulus (small piece of ice) applied to the skin brought about a temporary vasoconstriction of the cutaneous blood-vessels. This vasomotor response could also be elicited by a deep inspiration or by a mental stimulus such as the solving of a mathematical problem or by a loud noise. It was shown that the vasoconstrictor response was dependent on the integrity of the sympathetic nervous system and was unaffected by lesions of the cerebral substance. The response had a latent period of 2-3 seconds and a duration of approximately 1 minute, and it was best demonstrated when the peripheral blood-vessels had been previously dilated by immersing an indifferent limb in water at 450 C.