[Changes in the vegetative status and excretion of catecholamines during lateral therapy for essential hypertension]

In 30 patients with stage II essential hypertension a spectral analysis of the heart's rhythm was done together with measuring the urine excretion of catecholamines before and after a session of lateral light therapy. There has been noted a decrease in power of the ranges 0.08-0.15 and 0.15-0.5 Hz of the spectrogram and an appreciable rise in excretion of dofamine. The investigators have reached the conclusion that under the exposure to lateral light therapy there occurs a decrease in the baroreflex and vagus tone. A suggestion is made to the effect that dofamine may have its part in the antihypertensive effect of lateral therapy.