Circaseptan Adaptive Periodicity and Weekly Rhythm

Journal/Book: In: G. Hildebrandt u. H. Hensel (Eds): Biological Adaptation. Theime-Verlag Stuttgart-New York 1982 pp. 113-116.. 1982;

Abstract: Institut für Arbeitsphysiologie und Rehabilitationsforschung der Universität Marburg/Lahn The time structure of various adaptive processes is characterized by a dominating circaseptan (circa 7 days) periodicity which is evoked by a stressor and dampened down in the course of increasing adaptive capacity. It concerns the autonomous System in the sense of being a dynamic "background reaction" (HILDEBRANDT 1962; HILDEBRANDT & GEYER 1979; HILDEBRANDT et al. 1979). Because of the existence of the external weekly rhythm the question is often raised as to whether the circaseptan periodicity merely represents an externally synchronized weekly rhythm. This question is examined in the light of adaptive processes in cure patients who normally exhibit a dampened circaseptan periodicity in their physiological and pathological as well as in their psychological functions during treatment (HILDEBRANDT 1978). 1. Circaseptan periodicity in the death rate of cure patients The death rate of 428 patients who died during balneotherapeutic cure treatment in a spa station underwent a circaseptan periodicity in the course of the cure (HILDEBRANDT & BRÜNING 1979). If the days of death are grouped according to the first day of treatment a circaseptan periodicity emerges in which the phase position depends an the onset of treatment (fig. 1). Comparing this to the weekly course of the death rate among the inhabitants of the same spa (n = 1.686) the latter only shows a very small amplitude which accords with previous findings in the relevant literature. It can be concluded that the circaseptan periodicity in the death rate of cure patients is evoked by the onset of cure treatment and exhibits a higher amplitude compared to the normal weekly rhythm of the death rate. Thus death rate depends an the reactive autonomous processes of the background reaction of adaptation. 2. Circaseptan periodicity in vigilance functions of cure patients During a 4-week balneotherapeutic cure in a spa clinic the optical and acoustical reaction time as well as the flickerand fusion threshold (using the flicker-test) were measured at 2-day intervals in a group of 44 patients. . . .

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