EXCRETION OF 17-HYDROXYCORTICOSTEROIDS, CATECHOL AMINES, AND UROPEPSIN IN THE URINE OF NORMAL PERSONS AND DEAF SUBJECTS WITH BILATERAL VESTIBULAR DEFECTS FOLLOWING ACROBATIC FLIGHT STRESS. PROJ MR005.13-0004, SUBTASK 2, REP 1.

Abstract : Six men with labyrinthine defects and eleven normal subjects were exposed to flight stress in an AD5 aircraft in an effort to determine the role of the vestibular organs in the excretion of catechols and steroids. Chemical measurements revealed that a significant increase in excretion of these stress hormones occurred in response to flight stress in case of the normal but not of the L-D subjects which must have been attrib utable to the presence and absence, respectively, of the sensory organs of the inner ear. No significant changes in release of uropepsin were observed for either group. It is concluded that the vestibular organs must be taken into account in evaluating the effects of actual and simu lated flight stresses where the gravitational inertial force environment is a variable. (Author)