Milestone 3

Running head: PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM & TOUCH 1

PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM & TOUCH 1

Parasympathetic Nervous System & Touch

Sandy Pennington

Southern New Hampshire University

Research Questions

The parasympathetic nervous system has been observed to have a long-term effect on the health of individuals. Given the stupendous structure of the human nervous system, it is necessary to understand how the parasympathetic nervous system affects health and what roles it plays in neuroscience and psychobiology. The primary research questions for this study to help in comprehending the essential roles of the system include;

How does the parasympathetic nervous system get activated?

What happens when the parasympathetic nervous system gets activated?

What are the health benefits of activation of the parasympathetic nervous system?

How does the parasympathetic nervous system affect human psychology?

Parasympathetic nervous system and the field of Psychology

The nervous system has immense impacts on human behavior since it influences the ability to express emotions, learn, and utilize energy under different situations. A closer breakdown of the systemic parts of the nervous system reveals that its two major subdivisions are the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system contains another two subdivisions that are seen to actively control the voluntary and involuntary actions of the human body.

The somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system are considered the main divisions that influence human psychology. The somatic nervous system is involved in control of voluntary actions that are processed through motor neurons and sensory neurons. The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary functions that prepare the body for stress-related activities (Thayer, 2017). It is within the autonomic nervous system that the parasympathetic nervous system is classified as a division, which controls use of metabolic energy during relaxation.

The parasympathetic nervous system is referred to as the rest and digests system because it serves to increase intestinal and gland activity, while slowing down the heart rate to induce calmness. As human beings grow older, the parasympathetic nervous system undergoes maturation by learning to induce the correct behavior in varying environments. In order to perform correct behavior, the parasympathetic nervous system develops innate desires that are regulated by hormonal secretion and gland relaxation. Therefore, the thought-processes of a person are regulated by these shifts in the parasympathetic nervous system to act accordingly in a given surrounding.

A proper understanding of the parasympathetic nervous system should have medical implications on the field of psychology by modulating several levels of psychobiological foundation. Human beings can benefit from medical interventions that invoke a parasympathetic nervous system response to lower levels of blood pressure and mental stress. Drawing evidence from previous researches on ways to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the approach can be applied to resolve metabolic complications facing individuals. Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system will largely be used to ensure the human body functions under relaxed conditions.

Synthesis with previous scholarly research

The autonomic nervous system applies heart rate variability to shift between sympathetic and parasympathetic activation. According to Hatch et al., (2019), the autonomic nervous system regulates cardiovascular homeostasis and can be used to change electrochemical conduction as well as vascular tone. It is critical for the heart rate variability to be greatly regulated so that individuals remain responsive to physiological changes in the best way that facilitates normal functioning (Thayer, 2017). As one engages in activities that lead to activation of parasympathetic nervous system, they enhance their heart rate variability to avoid health altercations such as major depressive disorder and cardiovascular disorders.

The parasympathetic nervous system has a cranial division that supplies nerves to the lacrimal glands, salivary glands, sexual organs, urinary bladder, upper and lower gastrointestinal tract (Mathias & Bannister, 2013). All these areas are modified by parasympathetic activation that shifts their hyper-reaction to physiological changes back to the body’s normal functioning. The nervous system requires the parasympathetic activation to diminish the power of psychological defenses and neutralize hyperactivity caused by fear and traumatic events. In this way, parasympathetic activation can be used to induce normal behavior in times when human actions are dominated by fear-based emotional reactivity.

As one progresses in recovery, worry and anxiety tend to creep in. The environment, such as deadlines, family issues, may at times induce stress. When the stress hormone is released physiological changes occur. These responses are better known as fight or flight responses. We will look into this response when the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. The response is meant to be a survival tactic that allows mammals to react fast to a situation that was threatening.

Unfortunately, the same response to non-life threatening stressors that trigger high anxiety levels receive the same fight or flight responses from the human body. Stress contributes to high blood pressure and anxiety. The parasympathetic nervous system works to relax and slow down the body’s response. It counter-acts the effects of the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system once activated has rapid changes to the body. The brain continually releases corticotropin and adrenocorticotropic hormones that keep the body on high alert until it perceived that the danger is over (Colonnello & Heinrichs, 2016).

When the threat is deemed over, the hormone levels decline and the parasympathetic system works to inhibit the stress response by slowing down high energy activities within the body. When the parasympathetic system is activated, it enhances relaxation to the mind and body. Activation of the parasympathetic system can be learnt. When achieved, individuals’ moods are lifted, the immune system is strengthened and blood pressure lowers to a normal rate. Some of the techniques that can be used can be; getting a massage, spending time in nature, meditation, exercise, hobbies, among numerous others.

The parasympathetic activation can help individuals to treat neurological and psychiatric diseases. Neurological and psychiatric conditions are extremely costly to treat due to the burdensome nature of the medical conditions (Hatch et al., 2019). Furthermore, individuals face non-life threatening impulses in their daily routines that receive potentially confounding responses. According to pharmacological treatments of the neurological and psychiatric medical conditions associated with the nervous system there are several side-effects that necessitate the alternative treatment offered by parasympathetic activation.

Pharmaceutical treatment of autonomic nervous system anomalies has been observed to cause inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, oxidative stress, and hypothalamic pituitary-adrenaline dysfunction. It is high time that neuroscientists and psychiatrists acknowledge the role of moderate parasympathetic activation. Diego & Field (2009) state that moderate to light pressure on an individual during a massage provides far reaching benefits to an individual that may be suffering from stress-related disorders. The increased release of stress hormones due to the hyper-activation of the sympathetic nervous system can be regulated by parasympathetic activation which is achieved through activities that lower the heart rate variability to induce a state of calm.

Further evidence points to the close relationship between the autonomic nervous system and obesity, which has become an increasing global concern. Parasympathetic activation is involved in regulation of metabolic energy and cardiovascular variability to eliminate hypertension. Scientific evidence shows that excess weight among obese people inhibits ANS regulation that results in metabolic alterations that are also visible in patients with cardiovascular disorders (Guarino et al, 2017). Given the need for regulation of sympathetic nervous system, vagal nerve modulation achieved through deep to moderate massages, can be viewed as therapeutic targets for improving cardiovascular variability.

Sympathetic activation is a necessary process for human survival that should operate along with parasympathetic activation. Health concerns arise when hyper-activity of the sympathetic nervous system lead to the overproduction of stress hormones that have the potential to generate symptoms of depression and cardiovascular dysfunction. It becomes extremely important to understand ways of inducing parasympathetic activation as a reverse mechanism of hypertension (Colonnello & Heinrichs, 2016). Neurological and psychiatric conditions affected by the autonomic nervous system’s regulation can be modulated through parasympathetic activation. The potential of using parasympathetic activation as an alternative treatment approach is so great that it has substantial implications for people suffering from obesity.

It is crucial for people to understand the brain’s subdivisions that are involved in self-regulation and control of normal routines. In recent years, neuroscientists have begun to appreciate the awareness of neurotransmitter influence on body functions. The parasympathetic nervous system provides one of the essential subdivisions of the brain that has promising yields in psychiatric and neuroscience treatments. In conclusion, the parasympathetic nervous system has long-term health effects because its activation triggers the release of important hormones.

References

Colonnello, V., & Heinrichs, M. (2016). Oxytocin and self-consciousness. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 10, 67.

Diego, M. A., & Field, T. (2009). Moderate pressure massage elicits a parasympathetic nervous system response. International Journal of Neuroscience, 119(5), 630-638.

Guarino, D., Nannipieri, M., Iervasi, G., Taddei, S., & Bruno, R. M. (2017). The role of the autonomic nervous system in the pathophysiology of obesity. Frontiers in physiology, 8, 665.

Hatch, J., & Goldstein, B. I. (2019). Depression and Cardiovascular Risk: Epidemiology, Mechanisms, and Implications. In Neurobiology of Depression (pp. 185-196). Academic Press.

Mathias, C. J., & Bannister, R. (Eds.). (2013). Autonomic failure: a textbook of clinical disorders of the autonomic nervous system. OUP Oxford.

Thayer, J. F. (2017). A Neurovisceral Integration Model of Heart Rate Variability.