Abstract
This study examines the effects of human contact on the heart rate of four seriously injured patients who were on d-tubocurarine and artificially respirated. All four patients showed significant heart rate changes during routine clinical interactions such as pulse taking or when a nurse held their hand and comforted them. Coupled with previous animal and human observations, these findings indicate that human contact can serve as a potent stimulus for change in cardiovascular functioning of other humans. These studies also indicate that heart reactions to human contact (1) occur in patients where musculoskeletal movements are blocked and who are respired regularly, (2) occur even in the context of intense sensory bombardment, (3) can be of a magnitude equivalent to such strong physical stimuli as tracheal suction, and (4) can occur even when the patients are described as unconscious and comatose.
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