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ANS Results Description
The main physiological meaning of the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is that it could be viewed as a "mobilizing" or "energy-boosting" division of ANS. SNS is concerned primarily with preparing the body for energy-expending, stressful or emergency situations. It controls the "fight or flight" reaction, increasing blood pressure, heart rate, and blood flow to the muscles. SNS is also a biological marker of age. Conversely, the main physiological meaning of the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS) is that it could be viewed as a "restful" or "energy-conserving" division of ANS. PSNS is most active under ordinary, restful conditions. It also counterbalances the effects of the sympathetic division, and restores the body to a resting state following a stressful experience.
In response to various internal and external processes and stimuli, an individual experiences a continuous interplay of these two main ANS forces, constantly trying to balance each other. For example, during an emergency, the sympathetic division will cause the heart and breathing rates to increase; following the emergency, the parasympathetic division will decrease these activities.
In the Cartesian system of SNS/PSNS axes, the basic guiding principle is that parameters displayed at or to the right of the point of Autonomic Balance (PSNS > or = 0) represent basically healthy people, while those to the left (PSNS < 0) mostly represent temporarily dysfunctional or chronically sick people. Notice the difference between Rhythmograms and Spectral Function Graphs corresponding to different ANS categories and their segments. Specifically, notice the sharply fluctuating and regular Rhythmogram patterns of the green ("healthy") areas (PSNS > or = 0) vs. the flat and chaotic patterns of the yellow ("problem") areas (PSNS < 0). The basic principle in reading a Rhythmogram is: the sharper and more regular the fluctuation pattern, the healthier the person it belongs to.
1) PSNS prevalence with the average level of SNS activity:
This category represents PSNS dominance. It is usually observed when a patient is resting or during the first stage of sleep (specifically, dreamless sleep). In the second stage of sleep, SNS activity is generally increased, at times markedly so. This category is further subdivided into four subcategories, depending on the state of PSNS (slight, moderate, significant, sharp prevalence - cf. Category 1 on p. 3-1). This category is somewhat limited, since it can only be observed in patients with strictly median values of SNS activity.
2) Increase in PSNS and SNS activities:
This category is subdivided into sixteen different combinations of PSNS/SNS activity. It is characteristic of mostly healthy subjects. One distinctive area in this category represents what might be called the "high sympatho-adrenergic" state corresponding to a significant increase in SNS (points [10,10], [10,50], [50,10], [50,50]. A person reaches this state when he/she experiences a major energy boost (i.e., a sharp SNS increase). The "high sympatho-adrenergic" state is characterized by a sudden adrenalin surge similar to what an athlete feels before a competition or a tiger before a jump.
There is an interesting correlation between our results and the popular "Theory of Stress" by Selye. According to this theory, stress could be subdivided into 2 categories: 1) stress as a positive idea, and 2) distress as a negative idea.
Categories 1 through 3 represent basically healthy persons, but we have to keep in mind that healthy people may have two different physiological states. One state has a low level of sympathetic activity and the other has a significant increase in sympathetic activity. Both states are distinguished by an increase in parasympathetic activity. In Selye's stress theory, an increase in PSNS and a significant increase in SNS reflect "positive" stress while a decrease in PSNS and a significant increase in SNS reflect distress. Condition of a healthy person with a significant increase in SNS and an increase in PSNS (our "high sympathoadrenergic" state) thus corresponds to Selye's idea of "positive" stress.
3) SNS Prevalence:
This category represents an increase in SNS combined with a median value of PSNS. From the physiological standpoint, this category represents a transitional stage between the second and fourth categories.
4) PSNS decrease with SNS increase:
This category can apply to both clinically sick and clinically healthy individuals (defined as those not requiring medical intervention). However, the use of the term "healthy" is not always appropriate since functional imbalance from stress, physical exhaustion, nervous tension, infection, intoxication (including drugs and alcohol), exacerbation of chronic conditions, and many other causes may still be present. In such cases a decrease in PSNS due to depressed PSNS nerve centers can be observed, along with a simultaneous Sympathetic activation, which is triggered by the struggle of the nervous system to balance itself. When Sympathetic activation is high (points: [0.1,10], [0.1,50], [0.05,10] [0.05,50]), a person reaches an "acute" state characteristic of an acute illness or extreme stress/dysfunction.
The "acute" section of Category 4 with a decrease in PSNS and a significant increase in SNS clearly corresponds to Selye's idea of distress as a "negative stress"
5) PSNS decrease with average level of SNS:
This category, like the third, is transitional. Everything that pertains to the fourth category can be related to it, but here, SNS activity is within median values. This means that stress, or nervous overload is unlikely. This category may often reflect a depression in the receptor system of PSNS, indicating the possibility of chronic pathology.
6) SNS and PSNS decrease:
The sixth category, especially beyond the point 0.1 on either axis, reflects a general involuntary degeneration of both SNS and PSNS nervous centers. The majority of cases found in this category are either very old patients or those with diseases causing a significant decrease in the sensitivity of the entire receptor system along with partial degeneration of nervous centers. Examples are the elderly people, patients suffering from cancer or any other disease causing similar depression of ANS centers.
Point [0.5,0.5] of this category is an exception to this. It represents an insignificant, general decrease in ANS and approximates the point of Autonomic Balance. It can be interpreted as a border line value of Autonomic Balance.
Points [0.5,0.7], [0.5,0.1], [0.5,0.05] are usually, though not exclusively, found in patients with hyperkalemia or excessive levels of potassium ions, which alter the usual polarized state of the cardiac muscle fibers leading to a decrease in the rate and force of contractions.
7) Autonomic Balance:
It is a category, even though formally it is only a point, and all other points in its vicinity that belong to the other eight categories can be interpreted as borderline values of the Autonomic Balance. The central point is circled in red; the extended "Autonomic Balance" area is marked with a red dotted line.
8) SNS decrease with average level of PSNS:
This category, like the third and fifth, is transitional. Everything that pertains to the sixth and nineth categories can be related to it, but here, PSNS activity is within median values.
9) Increase in PSNS with decrease in SNS:
The ninth category is rather unusual because normally an increase in PSNS is accompanied by an increase in SNS. This rare condition is found in water polo athletes, long-distance runners, navy seals and persons with special heart training for deep-sea diving.