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Muscle sympathetic response to arousal predicts neurovascular reactivity during mental stress
Author(s) -
Donadio V.,
Liguori R.,
Elam M.,
Karlsson T.,
Giannoccaro M. P.,
Pegenius G.,
Giambattistelli F.,
Wallin B. G.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.228981
Subject(s) - arousal , heart rate , stimulus (psychology) , mental stress , blood pressure , cold pressor test , mental arithmetic , psychology , audiology , medicine , anesthesia , neuroscience , psychotherapist
Key points• Mental stress (MS) is often initiated by a sensory or cognitive stimulus, which induces a brief arousal reaction followed by a longer stress phase. Both phases induce blood pressure (BP) increases whereas effects on muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) vary: in approximately 50% of healthy subjects (responders) arousal induces a brief MSNA reduction, which is absent in the remaining 50% (non‐responders). • We now report a link between the arousal response and neurovascular effects of MS in healthy males. • Our data show that during MS, responders to arousal exhibited a significant decrease of MSNA and a lesser BP increase compared to non‐responders. The whole material displayed a positive correlation between MSNA responses induced by arousal and MS. In addition, arousal induced MSNA changes correlated positively with BP changes during MS. • We conclude that the MSNA response to arousal predicts MSNA and BP responses to MS.