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Cardiac autonomic profile during rest and working memory load in essential hypotensive women
Massimiliano de Zambotti1, Naima Covassin, Nicola Cellini
1Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy. massimiliano.dezambotti@sri.com
Insights
Essential hypotension in women is linked to lower sympathetic and higher parasympathetic nervous system activity. This reduced sympathetic response may impact cognitive performance.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Autonomic Nervous System Research
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Essential hypotension lacks reliable data on neurovegetative system modulation.
- Understanding autonomic control in hypotension is crucial for its management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate distinct sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiac control in women with essential hypotension compared to normotensive individuals.
- To explore the relationship between neurovegetative system activity and cognitive performance in hypotensive states.
Main Methods:
- Utilized impedance cardiography for heart rate (HR) and pre-ejection period (PEP).
- Employed photoplethysmography for blood pressure (BP) monitoring.
- Analyzed heart rate variability (HRV) for high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF) power.
- Collected data during rest and mental stress conditions.
Main Results:
- Hypotensive women showed prolonged PEP (indicating low sympathetic tone) and elevated HF (indicating high parasympathetic activity) at rest.
- They exhibited reduced cardiovascular and sympathetic responses (hypo-reactivity) to mental stress.
- Lower sympathetic reactivity correlated with poorer task performance.
Conclusions:
- Essential hypotension is characterized by reduced sympathetic and enhanced parasympathetic tone.
- Diminished sympathetic nervous system reactivity plays a key role in the link between blood pressure and cognitive function in hypotensive individuals.
Abstract:
To our knowledge, no previous study has provided reliable data supporting a different modulation of the Neurovegetative system in essential hypotension. Our purpose was to provide, in essential hypotensive women compared to normotensives, evidence of a distinct sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiac control. Cardiovascular and autonomic indexes derived by impedance cardiography (heart rate, HR; pre-ejection period, PEP), photoplethysmographic technique (blood pressure, BP) and heart rate variability analysis (high and low frequencies power, HF and LF) were continuously collected during rest and mental stress condition. Hypotensives, compared to normotensives, exhibited prolonged PEP (low sympathetic tone) and elevated HF (high vagal involvement) during rest. In addition, they showed cardiovascular (reduced increases in BP and HR) and sympathetic (lower reductions of PEP) hypo-reactivity to the task. Furthermore, a lower sympathetic reactivity in hypotensives was associated to a poorer task performance. Essential hypotension was characterized by a low sympathetic and high parasympathetic tone. In addition, a reduced sympathetic nervous system reactivity suggests the main role of the Neurovegetative system in mediating the relationship between blood pressure and cognitive performance in hypotensives.
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