1. PSNS prevalence with the average level of SNS activity: This category represents PSNS dominance. This state is usually noted when a patient is resting or the first stage of sleeps (specifically, dreamless sleep). In the second stage of slot SNS activity is generally increased, at times markedly thus, this category is differentiated into four grades, dependent on the state of the PSNS. This category somewhat limited, since it can only be noted in-patients with strictly median values of SNS activity.
2. Increase in PSNS and SNS activity: This category is subdivided into sixteen different possible combinations of PSNS/SNS activity. It is characteristic of mostly healthy subjects.
NOTE: There is a very interesting situating with illustration of the well-known "Theory of the stress" (Sailier). By this theory stress subdivided into 2 categories:
1 - stress as positive idea
2 - distress as negative idea.
As illustration to these theory points: [3.3], [3.4], [4.3], and [4.4] all correspond to the positive idea of the stress (See classification of the ANS).
3. SNS Prevalence: This category represents an increase in SNS compared to a median value of the PSNS. From the physiological standpoint, this category represents a transitional stage between the second and the fourth categories.
NOTE: Categories 1 through 3 represent basically healthy persons but we have to keep in mind that healthy people may have two different physiological states. One state has a low level of sympathetic activity and the other has a significant increase of sympathetic activity. Both states are distinguished by an increase in parasympathetic activity. In stress theory by Sailor an increase of PSNS and significant increase of SNS reflect stress while decrease of PSNS and significant increase of SNS reflects distress. Conditions of healthy persons with significant increase of SNS and increase in PSNS are thus corresponding to the Salier 's idea of stress. For example this type of stress can be compared to what an athlete feels before competition or a tiger before jump.
4. PSNS decrease with SNS increase: This category can apply to both clinically sick and clinically healthy individuals (defined as those not requiring hospitalization). However, the use of the term "healthy" is not always appropriate since functional imbalance, from stress, physical exhaustion, nervous tension, infections, intoxication (including drug or alcohol), exacerbation of chronic conditions, and many other conditions may still be present. In such cases a decrease in PSNS due to depressed PSNS nerve centers can be observed, along with a simultaneous Sympathetic activation, which is triggered by the struggle of the nervous system to balance itself.
NOTE:The Salier's idea of distress correlates to Category 4 (see Fig.2) where significant decrease of PSNS corresponds to significant increase of SNS.
Points: [-3.3], [-3.4], [-4.3], and [-4.4] all correspond to the negative idea-distress.
5. PSNS decrease with average level SNS: This category like the third is transitional. Everything that pertains to the fourth category can be related to it, but here, the SNS activity is within median values. This means that stress, or nervous overload is unlikely. This category may often reflect a depression in the receptor system of the PSNS, indicating the possibility of chronic pathology.
6. SNS and PSNS decrease: The sixth category, especially at points 3 and 4, reflects a general involutionary degeneration of both the SNS and PSNS nervous centers. The majority of cases found in this category are either very old patients or those with diseases, which cause a significant decrease in the sensitivity of the entire receptor system along with a partial degeneration of nervous centers. Examples are elderly people, cancer patients and any other disease, which cause similar depression of the ANS centers.
NOTE 1: Point [-1.-1] of this category is an exception to this. It represents an insignificant, general decrease in ANS and approximates the point of Autonomic Balance. It can be interpreted as a border line value of Autonomic Balance. NOTE 2: Points [-1.-2], [-1.-3], [-1.-4] is found in patients with hyperkalemia or excessive levels of potassium ions which alters the usual polarized state of the cardiac muscle fibers and the result is a decrease in the rate and force of contractions. In fact, if the potassium ion concentration is very high, the conduction of cardiac impulses may be blocked and heart action may suddenly stop (cardiac arrest).
7. Autonomic Balance. It is a category, even though formally it is only a point, and all other points in its vicinity that belong to the other eight categories can be interpreted as border line values of the Autonomic Balance.
8. SNS decrease with average level of PSNS: This category like the third and five is transitional. Everything that pertains to the six and nine categories can be related to it, but here, the PSNS activity is within median values.
9. Increase in PSNS with decrease in SNS: The nine category is rather unusual because normally an increase in PSNS is accompanied by an increase in SNS. This situation is found in persons with special heart training for deep-sea diving, water polo athletes, runners and navy spy.
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