john herr psychologist los gatos saratoga california

On Sabbatical

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TITLE: Physiological and endocrine effects of social contact.
AUTHOR: Uvnas-Moberg K
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
SOURCE: Ann N Y Acad Sci 1997 Jan 15;807:146-63
NLM CIT. ID: 97224975
ABSTRACT: Nonnoxious sensory stimulation associated with friendly social interaction induces a psychophysiological response pattern involving sedation, relaxation, decreased sympathoadrenal activity, and increased vagal nerve tone and thereby an endocrine and metabolic pattern favoring the storage of nutrients and growth. It is suggested that oxytocin released from parvocellular neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in response to nonnoxious stimulation integrates this response pattern at the hypothalamic level. The response pattern just described characterized by calm, relaxation, and anabolic metabolism could be regarded as an antithesis to the well known fight-flight response in which mental activation, locomotor activity, and catabolic metabolism are expressed. Furthermore, the health-promoting aspect of friendly and supportive relationships might be a consequence of repetitive exposure to nonnoxious sensory stimulation causing the physiological endocrine and behavioral changes just described.
MAIN MESH SUBJECTS: Brain/DRUG EFFECTS/*PHYSIOLOGY
Endocrine Glands/*PHYSIOLOGY
Hormones/*PHYSIOLOGY
Oxytocin/PHARMACOLOGY/*PHYSIOLOGY
*Social Behavior
ADDITIONAL MESH SUBJECTS: Animal
Breast Feeding
Female
Human
Hypothalamus/PHYSIOLOGY
Lactation
Maternal Behavior
Pain
Somatosensory Cortex/PHYSIOLOGY
PUBLICATION TYPES: JOURNAL ARTICLE
REVIEW
REVIEW, TUTORIAL
LANGUAGE: Eng
REGISTRY NUMBERS: 0 (Hormones)
50-56-6 (Oxytocin)

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On Sabbatical!

When my office lease expired at the end of 2004, I decided to turn it into a "sabbatical" from my private practice. Many years ago, in my grandfather's 89th year of life, he told me, "John, it is important to smell the roses while you can still smell them." His life gave living a very good reputation. It is also true that the pursuit of that philosophy required my grandfather to to re-open his assay office/ore market in Wickenburg, Arizona as a 75-year-old because he had run a little short of retirement money. Thus, if blessed with his luck and health, I'll be back.. --jjh

Copyright 1998-2007  John J. Herr, Ph.D.                                   Please send comments to jjherr@clinicalpsychologist.com