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The covariation of cortical electrical activity and cardiovascular responding
Paul S Foster1, David W Harrison
1Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia Tech, Department of Psychology (0436), Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
Abstract:
Integrating findings from research concerning the cerebral and cardiovascular effects of increasing emotional intensity suggests that changes in functional cerebral system activation and changes in heart rate and blood pressure are related. Research has indicated that the left and right cerebral hemispheres are specialized for parasympathetic and sympathetic control of cardiovascular functioning. The present investigation sought to determine whether significant correlations existed between changes in the magnitude (microV) of alpha (8-13 Hz), low beta (13-21 Hz), and high beta (21-32 Hz) EEG activity at the frontal and temporal lobes and changes in heart rate as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The results indicated that changes in the magnitude of each bandwidth analyzed were significantly correlated with changes in all three cardiovascular measures at several sites across the cerebral hemispheres, including the frontal and temporal lobes. The findings are discussed in terms of explaining the cardiovascular effects of increasing emotional intensity. Clinical implications of the findings are also discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.
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