Role of stress in the development of the hyperventilation syndrome.

The occurrence of the hyperventilation syndrome (HVS) has often been associated with stress. In this experiment with normal subjects responses of PACO2, respiration rate, heart rate and checklist measures were registered in a stressful, real-life situation, namely waiting for an examination. Heart rate and one checklist measure showed a significant arousal response. There was a small but significant decrease in PACO2 from a precontrol session to the stress session, but PACO2 had not returned to base level on a postcontrol session. Respiration rate did not change at all. Similar results in other experiments led to the conclusion that stress brings about only a mild degree of hyperventilation in normal subjects. The discrepancy with results found in HSV patients has been discussed.