Date of Award
5-1995
Honors Thesis Number
7499
Major
Psychology
Abstract
The goal of this study was to ascertain whether emotional responsiveness is attenuated when a subject undergoes bilateral splanchnicectomy. To accomplish this, the splanchnic nerve was severed bilaterally, below the branches to the adrenal glands. The majority of visceral information reaches spinal and medullary centers via the splanchnic, vagus, and pelvic nerves. Therefore, when severing the splanchnic nerve one eliminates one of the major afferent pathways transmitting visceral information to the central nervous system. Thus, we were testing the hypothesis that decreased feedback from portions of the gastrointestinal system would decrease emotional reactivity in a mildly arousing situation. No significant differences in plus-maze behavior were observed between the splanchnicectomized, control and sham-operated groups, however. This indicates that splanchnic afferent fibers do not represent a significant pathway by which visceral sensation modulates central nervous system arousal.