Catecholamine excretion and personality traits in paratroop trainees.

Abstract

AbstractBloom, G., U. S. v. Euler and M. Frankenhaeuser. Catecholamine excretion and personality traits in paratroop trainees. Acta physiol. scand. 1963. 58. 77—89. — The excretion of adrenaline and nor‐adrenaline in urine was measured in paratroop trainees and officers during night rest, ground training and during 2—3‐hour periods under which jumps were performed from training tower and from aircraft. The mean adrenaline excretion in the trainees was 3.3 ± 0.5 ng/min during night rest and 8.8 ± 1.0 ng/min during ground activity. For periods including jumps, mean adrenaline excretion was significantly increased to values of 17.4—19.9 ng/min. The mean noradrenaline excretion was 11.2 ± 2.0 ng/min during night rest, 23.6 ± 2.6 ng/min during ground activity and 21.1—38.1 ng/min in periods under which jumps were performed. No difference in catecholamine excretion values was observed between officers and trainees. Increased pulse rates were noted during preparatory procedures preceding a jump, and lowered blood eosinophil levels observed after the 1st parachute jump. Within the present small sample of subjects it was not possible to obtain reliable coefficients of correlation between basic personality traits and excretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline, but some of the rating techniques used for assessing personality traits proved highly reliable and, hence, well suited for future research in this area.