Premium
Relationships between baroreceptor cardiac reflex sensitivity and cognitive performance: Modulations by gender and blood pressure
Author(s) -
Reyes Del Paso Gustavo A.,
Mata José luis,
MartínVázquez María
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2011.01276.x
Subject(s) - baroreceptor , psychology , aptitude , cognition , blood pressure , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , audiology , developmental psychology , task (project management) , reflex , autonomic nervous system , association (psychology) , heart rate , neuroscience , medicine , management , economics , psychotherapist
This study aimed at replicating and extending previous results on the association between baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) and cognitive performance. Thirty men and 31 women performed an arithmetic task. After adjusting for numerical aptitude and effort, no predictors of performance were found in men. In women, the relationships between BRS and parameters related to correct responses were modulated by blood pressure (BP). BRS was inversely associated with these parameters for participants with BP>1 SD above the mean, whereas the associations were positive in participants with BP<1 SD below the mean. Also for women, BRS was positively associated with number of errors during the task. These results suggest that the relation between BRS and performance varies as a function of the type of cognitive processes assessed and that the central nervous system effects of the baroreceptors on cognitive functioning are modulated by gender and BP.