Questions: A patient is given a parasympathetic antagonist during surgery. Which would you expect?
Increased saliva
Drooling
Decreased saliva
No change in saliva, because saliva is regulated by somatic motor neurons.
Transcript text: A patient is given a parasympathetic antagonist during surgery. Which would you expect?
Increased saliva
Drooling
Decreased saliva
No change in saliva, because saliva is regulated by somatic motor neurons.
Solution
The answer is the third one: Decreased saliva.
Explanation for each option:
Increased saliva: This is incorrect. A parasympathetic antagonist would inhibit the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for stimulating saliva production. Therefore, saliva production would decrease, not increase.
Drooling: This is incorrect. Drooling is associated with increased saliva production, which would not occur with a parasympathetic antagonist. Instead, saliva production would decrease.
Decreased saliva: This is correct. The parasympathetic nervous system stimulates saliva production. A parasympathetic antagonist would block this stimulation, leading to decreased saliva production.
No change in saliva, because saliva is regulated by somatic motor neurons: This is incorrect. Saliva production is primarily regulated by the autonomic nervous system, specifically the parasympathetic branch, not by somatic motor neurons.
Summary:
A patient given a parasympathetic antagonist during surgery would experience decreased saliva production.