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Effect of chewing a single betel-quid on autonomic nervous modulation in healthy young adultsInstitute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, cdkuo{at}vghtpe.gov.tw
Laboratory of Biophysics, Department of Research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan Betel-quid is widely used around the world as a stimulant for the autonomic nervous system. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of betel-quid chewing on autonomic nervous modulation by using spectral heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. Twenty healthy young adults were included in this study. Each subject chewed a single betel-quid containing one betel nut or a piece of chewing-gum for 60 min on different days in random order. Spectral HRV measures were obtained before, and 5, 30 and 60 min after starting to chew betel-quid or gum. Sequential changes in HRV measures were compared between chewing gum and betel-quid. Heart rate was significantly elevated after 5 min chewing betel-quid, but not after chewing gum. The normalized low-frequency power and low-/high-frequency power ratio were elevated after 5 min chewing gum or betel-quid; however, the normalized high-frequency power was reduced after 5 min chewing gum or betel-quid. The percentage changes in total power after 5, 30 and 60 min chewing betel-quid were significantly lower than those after chewing gum. This study confirms that novice chewing of betel-quid modulates autonomic nervous system activity; transiently enhancing sympathetic activity and gradually suppressing vagal activity in healthy young adults.
Key Words: betel-quid autonomic nervous system heart rate heart rate variability sympathetic vagal
This version was published on November
1, 2008 Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 22, No. 8,
910-917 (2008) |
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