Effect of psychic stimulation on plasma catecholamine concentrations and nasal patency in patients with nasal allergy

To compare the degree of sympathoadrenal and nasal vascular response to psychic stimulation between patients with nasal allergy and normal controls, we measured the changes in plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations and nasal patency elicited by cannulation into the forearm vein and mental arithmetic in 28 patients with nasal allergy and age- and sex-matched normal controls. Ten of the 28 allergy patients had markedly swollen, pale, edematous nasal mucosa and served as a subgroup of nasal allergy patients. Plasma catecholamine levels increased significantly, with a synchronous increase of nasal patency, during stimulation. Among the three groups, no statistical differences were observed in plasma catecholamine levels either at rest or during stimulation. There was no significant difference in extent of increase of nasal patency induced by stimulation in the total group of subjects with nasal allergy compared with normal controls. However, it was significantly smaller in a subgroup of nasal allergy patients having markedly pale, edematous swelling of the nasal mucosa.