Abstract

Behavioral inhibition (BI) is believed to be a genetically determined trait that affects roughly 33% of the population. These individuals tend to respond to stressful situations differently than non-behaviorally inhibited (NBI) individuals. Previous studies have already displayed differences between NBI and BI individuals. A portion of this study, however, focuses on physiological responses to increasing levels of CO through an analyses of breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure in BI and NBI populations. At 3%, 5%, and 7% CO, respectively, a slope (inspired minute ventilation (L/min) / %CO revealed that BI individuals have increased, exaggerated responses to the respiratory stressor.  In the rodent population, a similar behavioral/stress model exists.  The Sprague-Dawley (SD) strain often acts as a “control’ among rat strains and can be considered to be the rat equivalent to NBI individuals.  On the other hand, the stressed Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) strain is the rodent equivalent to BI individuals.  Using a custom-built plethysmograph to measure heart rate and breathing in the rodent population, we predict that the stressed, WKY, population will model a similar behavior to BI individuals upon exposure to increasing levels of CO.