Key result
Sympathicotonic tone links to higher stress responses on the FAS-M scale, peaking at ~3.1 units.
Why the study?
The specific effects of different autonomic nervous system tone types on the psycho-emotional dynamics of dogs under acute stress and ordinary anxiety, along with the mechanisms of autonomic involvement in behavioral responses, needed to be determined.
Does autonomic nervous system tone determine the dynamics of the psycho-emotional state in dogs under conditions of acute stress?
Observational (n=30)
Does autonomic nervous system tone determine the dynamics of the psycho-emotional state in dogs under conditions of acute stress?
Autonomic nervous system tone in dogs determines their behavioral reactivity and adaptability to acute stress, serving as a potential prognostic marker for stress resistance in veterinary medicine.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Autonomic tone may predict stress responses in dogs; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation before clinical use.
The problem of stress resistance in dogs is an important aspect of modern veterinary medicine and ethology, as it directly affects the health, behavior, and performance of animals in service, sport, and therapeutic activities. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a key role in regulating the psycho-emotional state, determining the speed and intensity of responses to stress stimuli. The aim of the study was to determine the specific effects of different types of autonomic tone on the dynamics of the psycho-emotional state of dogs under conditions of acute stress and ordinary anxiety, and to identify the mechanisms of ANS involvement in the formation of behavioral responses. The study was conducted on 30 dogs with different autonomic statuses. The psycho-emotional state was assessed using the modified FAS scale (FAS-M) in dynamics. It was found that normotonic dogs under acute stress exhibited a moderate increase in psycho-emotional state, indicating balanced reactivity and adaptive capacity. Vagotonics had minimal baseline values (0.3–1.5 units), but in response to acute stress they sharply increased (up to 2.5 units), followed by a rapid decline by the end of the experiment (1.3 units), indicating unstable adaptation dynamics. Sympathicotonics showed consistently high excitability levels (1.9–2.3 units) and the most pronounced stress response (up to 3.1 units), maintaining elevated anxiety even during ordinary anxiety days (2.5–2.8 units), which reflects their low adaptability. Analysis of the influence of individual ANS branches showed the dominance of sympathicotonia at the initial stages (0.4 units on the first day) with a gradual decline to 0.04–0.31 units in the following days, while vagotonia displayed a phase-like pattern: from moderate values at the start (0.22–0.36 units) to suppression on days 2–3 (0–0.02 units), and a renewed increase on day 5 (0.46 units). Thus, the type of autonomic tone is a determining factor in shaping the stress response in dogs. This suggests that autonomic tone type can be considered a prognostic marker of individual stress resistance and a basis for developing practical correction methods in veterinary practice.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Redko et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Acute stress and ordinary anxiety in dogs (n=30). Sympathicotonic and vagotonic autonomic tone under acute stress vs. Normotonic autonomic tone was evaluated on Psycho-emotional state assessed using the modified FAS scale (FAS-M). Sympathicotonic dogs showed the highest stress response on the FAS-M scale (up to 3.1 units), whereas vagotonic dogs peaked at 2.5 units and declined to 1.3 units.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: