Cardiac response induced by voluntary self-paced finger movement

Cardiac responses induced by slow and brisk voluntary self-paced index finger movements of the dominant and non-dominant hand were investigated in a group of 12 right-handed subjects. Since subjects synchronised movement and respiration, initiating movement preferably during inspiration, a novel method of evaluating the movement-induced cardiac response was used. This method allows one to distinguish the differential effects on the cardiac response due to movement and respiration. The effect of type of movements (slow vs. brisk) and hand (right vs. left) were analysed. Slow movements induced a monophasic cardiac response, consisting of cardiac deceleration preceding and accompanying movement. Brisk movements induced a biphasic cardiac response, consisting of preparatory deceleration followed by slight post-movement cardiac acceleration. Hand-dominance did not influence the movement-induced cardiac response. The results suggest that neocortical structures involved in planning and execution of voluntary movement impinge upon brainstem cardiovascular nuclei. Vagal cardiac outflow is affected and gives rise to movement-induced changes in cardiac chronotropism.