Autonomic Nervous System Lab Questions Effects of Nerve Stimulation Questions: 1

Question

Autonomic Nervous System Lab Questions

Effects of Nerve Stimulation Questions:

1. How can you explain the change in potential across the hand that follows peripheral nerve stimulation?

2. This response can also be seen by measuring the skin potential of the sole of your foot. How would you expect the latencies and amplitudes in the skin of the hand and the foot compare? Explain any differences in the latencies.

Effects of Other Stimuli Questions:

3. You may observe a change in the skin potential even before the stimulus is delivered. How can you explain this?

4. Describe the volunteer's skin potential response after the startle and gasp stimuli. How can you explain these findings?

Heart rate variability Questions:

5. Was there greater heart rate variability during quiet breathing or during deep breathing? Explain your findings.

6. Do the mean RR intervals differ between quiet and deep breathing? How do the SDs differ? Explain these observations.

Effects of a Valsalva maneuver Questions:

7. Before you do this activity, predict what will happen to heart rate and the magnitude of the peripheral pulse.

8. Explain why the heart rate and finger pulse change during a Valsalva maneuver. Include in your explanation how changes in arterial blood pressure, peripheral resistance, and autonomic nervous activity bring about these responses.

Thank you so much.

Explanation / Answer

To understand how GSR works,take a quick step back and have a look at the physiologicalcharacteristics of the largest organ of the human body – the skin.Our skin functions as the principal interface between organism and environment. Together with other organs, itis responsible for bodily processes such as the immune system, thermo-regulation, and sensory-motor exploration:1. Immune SystemAs protective barrier, the skin separates our body from the environment and its threats – mechanical impacts and pressure, variations in temperature, micro-organisms, radiation, and chemical agents.2. (Thermo-)RegulationThe skin controls body temperature by regulating sweat emission, piloerection(“goosebumps”), and peripheral blood circulation.3. Sensing and PerceptionThe skin is an organ of perception. It contains an extensive network of nervecells that detect and relay changes in the environment based on the activity of receptors for temperature, pressure, and pain.Consistent with this complexity of function,the skin has three primary layers:1 Epidermis(outmost protective layer)2 Dermis(cushion for the body from stress and strain)3 Hypodermis(anchor to bones and muscles)Our body has about three million sweat glands. The density of sweat glands varies markedly across the body, being highest on the forehead and cheeks, the palms andfingers as well as on the sole of the feet.Whenever sweat glands are triggered and become more active, they secrete moisture through pores towards the skin surface. By changing the balance of positive and negative ions in the secreted fluid, electrical current flows more readily, resulting in measurable changes in skin conductance (increased skin conductance= decreased skin resistance).This change in skin conductance is generally termedGalvanic Skin Response (GSR).While the primary purposes of sweat emission are thermoregulation and evaporative cooling, sweating on hands and feet is also triggered whenever we’re emotionally aroused.

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