[Neuroplegia: results of an interdisciplinary approach to its physiopathology]

Neuroplegia was born from a physiopathological study of states of shock and research on inhibition of the autonomic reaction to aggression. Over the last 25 years, the experimental facts have become accumulated in favour of the first theory of H. Laborit, i.e. that this so-called defence reaction defended our lives only through conservation of motor activity in the environment. When this motor activity is inefficacious or useless, the neuroendocrine reaction may lead, during the acute phase, to states of shock and to chronic psychosomatic pathology. On this general theme, inhibition of this reaction by neuroplegic drugs, among which the phenothiazine derivatives have played a very important role, has led in numerous surgical and medical disciplines, to basic research and therapeutic consequences. Thus, in anesthetics, it was at the origin of potentialised anesthesia, then neuroleptanalgesia. In general intensive care, it is used in various ways in the study and treatment of states of shock. In psychiatry, it has initiated neuro-psychopharmacology and the neuro-physiological and biochemical study of the nervous system in its response to the psycho-social environment. It has found its place in anesthesia and in obstetric pathology. But above all, has led pharmacologists to the study of metabolic and biochemical activities. The result of an interdisciplinary approach, neuroplegia has on the contrary, often been the origin of an interdisciplinary development of our physiological and physiopathological knowledge. Today this development seems to better understand its mode of action at various levels of organisation of living systems. One may thus say that neuroplegia, apart from its therapeutic interest, has been a good working instrument and led to better understanding of numerous biological disciplines.