Pattern Analyses of Autonomic Variables During Rest

Abstract

JLAjRING THE last twelve years several reports have been presented describing a common factor for autonomic functions in different populations (Cf. Wenger2 and ref-erences there cited). Although the factor was similar in the several populations, it furnished a logical description for something less than one third of each population. In other words, relatively few individuals demonstrate con-sistent patterns of sympathetic or parasympa-thetic dominance for the functions correlated most closely with the autonomic factor. The majority show mixed patterns of autonomic functions by a sympathetic vs. parasympathetic criterion. Table i shows some of the variables that have been used in these studies. Those vari-ables marked C or A are those found to be most closely correlated with the autonomic factor for children or adults respectively. The table also shows the method for plotting an individual profile on a standard score scale based upon the means and standard deviations for 488 aviation cadets. Neglecting the ques-tion marks for the moment, this profile shows deviations of 1 a for eight variables. Five devi-ations (those plotted to the left of the mean) indicate apparent dominance of the sympa-thetic NS—i.e., excessive sympathetic or de-ficient parasympathetic activity or both, with low salivary output, short dermographia per-