Effect of Mental Arithmetic on Gastric Secretion

Gastric secretions of 12 fasting male subjects between the ages 20 and 27 years were collected by continuous manual syringe aspiration for two hours. In seven trials, the subjects rested for one hour and did mental arithmetic during the second hour. In seven other trials, the arithmetic hour preceded the rest hour. The mean milliequivalents of HCl secreted during the 14 arithmetic hours was significantly different from the mean milliequivalents secreted during the 14 rest hours (one tailed t = 2.28; p < .05). The volume of juice secreted during the arithmetic hour also decreased (one tailed t = 2.35; p < .05).