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parasympathetic
has definitions from the fields of anatomy,zoology,physiology
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[ adjective ] of or relating to the parasympathetic nervous system
Used in print (E. Gellhorn, "Prolegomena to a theory of the emotions"...)Moreover , the dominance in parasympathetic action ( with reciprocal inhibition of the sympathetic ) at the hypothalamic level induces , by its peripheral action , the autonomic symptoms of sleep and , by its action on the cortex , a lessening in the reactivity of the sensory and motor apparatus of the somatic nervous_system . Although no drugs act exclusively on the hypothalamus or a part of it , there is sufficient specificity to distinguish drugs which shift the hypothalamic balance to the sympathetic side from those which produce a parasympathetic dominance . Important as these differences are , they should not obscure the basic fact that by shifting the hypothalamic balance sufficiently to the parasympathetic side , we produce depressions , whereas a shift in the opposite direction causes excitatory effects and , eventually , maniclike changes . A change in the balance to the parasympathetic side leads in the normal individual to sleep or , in special circumstances , to cardiovascular collapse or nausea and vomiting . The fundamental differences between physiological and pathological states of parasympathetic ( and also of sympathetic ) dominance remain to be elucidated . Related terms |
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[ noun ] (anatomy,zoology,physiology) originates in the brain stem and lower part of the spinal cord; opposes physiological effects of the sympathetic nervous system: stimulates digestive secretions; slows the heart; constricts the pupils; dilates blood vessels
Synonyms Related terms |
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