# Survey for dissertation on Beta-Blockers



## evh (Apr 19, 2014)

Hey everyone I have a short 8 yes/no question survey for my dissertation for university.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8FM2XPS

Thanks for your time.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

is this for real?

Has a supervisor 'passed' this as suitable for a degree-level dissertation?


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## Katie (Dec 13, 2013)

I feed my monkey *Alpha*lfa, which - *Bravo*! - helps diminish the *Charley* horses to which he's prone in the *Delta*-oids, though sometimes he experiences an *Echo* of pain when dancing the *Foxtrot* or after a strenuous round of *Golf*, at which point, I advise registration at the local *Hotel* - the *India* Get-a-way - where the house masseuse, *Juliet*, will rub away the tension using a metric *Kilo*gram of oil, though her recommended dietary supplement of *Lima* beans can precipitate gas, for which the resident osteopath, *Mike*, DO, will suggest the palliative affects of Beano - though a long run in the cold *November* rain suited Axl Rose's needs - yet, if they awarded prolific flatulence, my uncle Pete would certainly win the *Oscar* , he's my cousin Minnie's *Papa* - originally from *Quebec* - and he was quite a *Romeo* in his day, until meeting his match in Auntie Lou while vacationing in the *Sierra* Nevada mountains, where they fell in love doing the *Tango* during a Halloween dance at which both were wearing a police *Uniform* and, while it was an individual competition, so good were both, that the panel of judges could not declare a *Victor*; fortunately, the *Whiskey* was free and both danced 'til dawn - an effort the produced a trip to emergency room with an *X-ray* of Uncle Pete's *Yankee* - or at least that's what we call it 'round these parts - that, thankfully, was negative, but still solicited admonitions from his future wife to stop herky-jerking around the dance floor like a *Zulu*. / sheesh, Kate

Edit: For those in the dark, put on a uniform and serve your country....or simply google the Military Phoenetic Alphabet ...

I realize this post constitutes a rather obvious non sequitur, but for some reason the "beta" got me thinking about "bravo", which got thinking about "alpha", and lord knows I love to tell stories about my primate!


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

Headphone Hermit said:


> is this for real?
> 
> Has a supervisor 'passed' this as suitable for a degree-level dissertation?


Oh, were you expecting some integrity?. Sorry, but here's some drugs!


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Many a career concert performer regularly takes Beta Blockers. This has nothing to do with performance anxiety, or fear. What does happen, even to those who have no anxiety about performing, is with a career of four nights a week playing a concerto or such throughout a full year's season, each performance involves an extreme adrenaline spike, with of course, it following descent (or crash.) Too much of this is beyond what our organisms are capable of handling without some physical price being taken -- and paid.

That adrenaline spike / descent - crash cycle, repeated often with regularity, strips the body of resources or tires it, and deprives it of anywhere near the normal length of time where it might recover, resolve itself on its own schedule. 

Irritable bowel syndrome is a frequent consequence for many a high-end frequently performing professional.

Ergo, the blockers are taken by some as a preventative, keeping at bay a potential consequence of a very uncomfortable chronic condition. Because so many are not informed, and think of Beta blockers as 'a coward's drug,' many who use the drug keep it secret.


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## american music (Mar 18, 2014)

evh said:


> Hey everyone I have a short 8 yes/no question survey for my dissertation for university.
> 
> https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8FM2XPS
> 
> Thanks for your time.


Good luck on the completion and defense of your dissertation. What type of math and stats will you use to analyze the survey data?


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

american music said:


> Good luck on the completion and defense of your dissertation. What type of math and stats will you use to analyze the survey data?


Well, they may have been deluded that by posting on this site that its entire membership is comprised of active professional musicians, and had been hoping for an answer from such a group.

Perhaps they were just looking for a collection of empiric opinions from a group who are keen on classical music.

Then again, maybe there is some holy writ on the subject which this survey of opinions will be held up against.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

PetrB said:


> Many a career concert performer regularly takes Beta Blockers. This has nothing to do with performance anxiety, or fear. What does happen, even to those who have no anxiety about performing, is with a career of four nights a week playing a concerto or such throughout a full year's season, each performance involves an extreme adrenaline spike, with of course, it following descent (or crash.) Too much of this is beyond what our organisms are capable of handling without some physical price being taken -- and paid.
> 
> That adrenaline spike / descent - crash cycle, repeated often with regularity, strips the body of resources or tires it, and deprives it of anywhere near the normal length of time where it might recover, resolve itself on its own schedule.
> 
> ...


Sounds like a total load of crap.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Couchie said:


> Sounds like a total load of crap.


So, you are saying my concert artist friends lied to me, I guess.

I'll take their statements about their use of Beta Blockers and their colleagues' use of Beta Blockers over your opinion, I think.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

PetrB said:


> So, you are saying my concert artist friends lied to me, I guess.
> 
> I'll take their statements about their use of Beta Blockers and their colleagues' use of Beta Blockers over your opinion, I think.


I'm saying your concert artist friends are full of crap:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0002934382905927
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_blocker#Anxiety_and_performance_enhancement

Or perhaps they can produce a paper on how Beta blockers alleviate the adrenaline rush/crash fatigue cycle's drain on "resources" and their prescriptions for that FDA approved use?


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Couchie said:


> I'm saying your concert artist friends are full of crap:
> http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0002934382905927
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_blocker#Anxiety_and_performance_enhancement
> 
> Or perhaps they can produce a paper on how Beta blockers alleviate the adrenaline rush/crash fatigue cycle's drain on "resources" and their prescriptions for that FDA approved use?


The prescription drugs my concert artist friends take are not under the aegis of the FDA....


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

Couchie said:


> I'm saying your concert artist friends are full of crap:
> http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0002934382905927
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_blocker#Anxiety_and_performance_enhancement
> 
> Or perhaps they can produce a paper on how Beta blockers alleviate the adrenaline rush/crash fatigue cycle's drain on "resources" and their prescriptions for that FDA approved use?


Well, this was from the link you posted… Bolded the important part. I don't know why you posted a link against your argument, haha. Oh well.

"Officially, beta blockers are not approved for anxiolytic use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. *However, many controlled trials in the past 25 years indicate beta blockers are effective in anxiety disorders, though the mechanism of action is not known. The physiological symptoms of the fight-or-flight response (pounding heart, cold/clammy hands, increased respiration, sweating, etc.) are significantly reduced, thus enabling anxious individuals to concentrate on the task at hand.*

*Musicians, public speakers, actors, and professional dancers have been known to use beta blockers to avoid performance anxiety, stage fright and tremor during both auditions and public performances. The application to stage fright was first recognized in The Lancet in 1976, and by 1987, a survey conducted by the International Conference of Symphony Orchestra Musicians, representing the 51 largest orchestras in the United States, revealed 27% of its musicians had used beta blockers and 70% obtained them from friends, not physicians.[39] Beta blockers are inexpensive, said to be relatively safe and, on one hand, seem to improve musicians' performances on a technical level, while some, like Barry Green, the author of "The Inner Game of Music," and Don Greene, a former Olympic diving coach who teaches Juilliard students to overcome their stage fright naturally, say the performances may be perceived as "soulless and inauthentic.*"


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Beta blockers are openly used by musicians. Much data has been accumulated. I don't know why the OPie's survey would be important for anything. Oh well.


http://www.stltoday.com/entertainme...cle_ee5d949f-2e90-5fe4-987a-a38968b0e953.html

Beta blocker use by athletes is another matter, generally frowned upon by various sport ruling bodies.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/s...lso-calm-nerves-keeping-them-banned.html?_r=0


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Couchie said:


> I'm saying your concert artist friends are full of crap:
> http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0002934382905927
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_blocker#Anxiety_and_performance_enhancement
> 
> Or perhaps they can produce a paper on how Beta blockers alleviate the adrenaline rush/crash fatigue cycle's drain on "resources" and their prescriptions for that FDA approved use?


As someone with mitral valve prolapse as well as generalized anxiety disorder (and a medical professional) I can corrobate this. Not that that adrenaline rush "prevention" is an FDA approved use, but it in fact can do this. I frequently wake with adrenaline surges that are very uncomfortable....causing intense nervous energy, heart pounding and chest pain. Whether it's from the anxiety or the mitral valve prolapse is still up in the air. Regardless, 15 mg of the beta blocker propranolol at bedtime and another 15 mg in the morning, unless I'm scheduled for some vigorous exercise, has managed this far better than my anxiety medication or other maneuvers. Actually, it is also used for symptomatic management of tumors that excrete excess adrenaline.

Not that I am advocating for the use of these medications as described in concert performance (and would frown on such use if not prescribed to said person) an argument could be made that the adrenaline rush could really make the music come alive, nevermind the fact that they can be potentially hazardous meds. But the fact remains that the scientific reasoning IS sound


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Another note: It is a beta ADRENERGIC blocker, which means it blocks adrenaline receptors throughout the body.....


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

Propranolol is in fact licensed as an anxiolytic in the UK, and is quite widely used for symptoms like palpitations, sweating and tremor that are the result of anxiety.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Vesuvius said:


> Well, this was from the link you posted… Bolded the important part. I don't know why you posted a link against your argument, haha. Oh well.
> 
> "Officially, beta blockers are not approved for anxiolytic use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. *However, many controlled trials in the past 25 years indicate beta blockers are effective in anxiety disorders, though the mechanism of action is not known. The physiological symptoms of the fight-or-flight response (pounding heart, cold/clammy hands, increased respiration, sweating, etc.) are significantly reduced, thus enabling anxious individuals to concentrate on the task at hand.*
> 
> *Musicians, public speakers, actors, and professional dancers have been known to use beta blockers to avoid performance anxiety, stage fright and tremor during both auditions and public performances. The application to stage fright was first recognized in The Lancet in 1976, and by 1987, a survey conducted by the International Conference of Symphony Orchestra Musicians, representing the 51 largest orchestras in the United States, revealed 27% of its musicians had used beta blockers and 70% obtained them from friends, not physicians.[39] Beta blockers are inexpensive, said to be relatively safe and, on one hand, seem to improve musicians' performances on a technical level, while some, like Barry Green, the author of "The Inner Game of Music," and Don Greene, a former Olympic diving coach who teaches Juilliard students to overcome their stage fright naturally, say the performances may be perceived as "soulless and inauthentic.*"


That is against PetrB's argument, not mine. Re-read the preceding posts.


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

Couchie said:


> That is against PetrB's argument, not mine. Re-read the preceding posts.


I did. He was talking about the consequences of such anxiety/adrenaline (I do disagree with the part where he said it has nothing to do with anxiety, at least not always) spikes. Irritable bowls, nagging wife, annoying friends and such. 

Then again, I might've mis-calculated this here argument. I need to stop selective reading…. Were y'all arguing about it being related to anxiety or approved by FDA… the price of gas, maybe? I don't know.


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