Blocking cybernosis in endocrine glands pathology

The term cybernosis was proposed by Meerloo (1971) in order to designate the cybernetic functional disorders in senescence. Blocking cybernosis or bloking negative feedback is the term used for negative feedback perturbation in a neuro-endocrine subsystem caused by factors dwelling inside or outside it. Using the hypothalamo-hypophyso-adrenocortical subsystem as a model, the author shows that due to an excessive and anarchic secretion of corticoids by a tumor developed in the adrenocortical, the hypothalamo-hypophyseal control centers are blocked. A similar blockade occurs after longterm administration of high doses of a steroid, similar or identical to the natural corticoid hormone, which retro-acts like the latter. In the first case we deal with tumoral blocking cybernosis, in the second, with an iatrogenic one. As in both cases the subsystems are turned off without structural desorganization, the term blockade is more appropriate than that of disorder which implies the existence of a certain functional disability. Tumoral blocking cybernoses were seen by us in thyroid toxic adenoma, corticosteroid secreting adenomas and ovarian tumors; iatrogenic cybernoses occur in the long-term corticosteroid therapy in dermatoses, hirsutism, etc. Blocking cybernoses, both tumoral and iatrogenic, require great caution in their correction. Sudden removal of the blockade is followed by severe disorders producing collapse and coma with their implicit risk.