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Biomedical subjects

S R Burchfield

Publications and source records attributed to S R Burchfield.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

The stress response: a new perspective.

A theory of the response to chronic intermittent stress, intergating many diverse studies, is presented. Chronic intermittent stress is presumed to be the type of stress most frequently encountered and most likely to cause physiological changes which predispose an organism to tissue damage. The theory states that all organisms are genetically predisposed to adapt to stress and that the physiological pattern of adaptation is similar across species. This pattern consists of a conditioned endocrine response before the stressor is presented accompanied by a decrease in arousal during the stress. These changes occur because the organism is predisposed to learn cues predictive of stress and to assess the threat potential of the stressor. This pattern is adaptive because it conserves resources and promotes homeostasis. Maladaptation is discussed in terms of failure to learn situational expectancies and appropriate responses. Implications of this theoretical perspective are examined.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1977

Geophagia in response to stress and arthritis.

Geophagia, the consumption of nonnutritive dirt, has previously been shown to be increased when rats have been made acutely ill. The present paper reports two experiments in which geophagia in response to stress and arthritis was measured. In the first experiment, experimental rats were injected with Freund's Complete Adjuvant (FCA), a mineral oil suspension of killed Mycobacterium butyricum. They ate significantly more kaolin (a nonnutritive substance) than controls, suggesting that geophagia is a behavioral measure of illness. In a second study, kaolin consumption was similarly elevated in stressed and/or arthritic animals as well as in control rats living in the same room. Nonstressed controls housed in a remote room ate significantly less kaolin than rats in all other groups. It was concluded that geophagia may occur in response to any homeostatic alteration (stress state). Furthermore, this state can presumably be communicated to naive rats from adjacently-housed stressed animals. Geophagia was postulated to occur in animals who experience a generalized stress reponse since this state may involve gastro-intestinal malaise.

Acacia↗