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J Appl Physiol (January 24, 2008). doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01285.2007
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Submitted on December 5, 2007
Accepted on January 17, 2008

Neurovascular Responses to Mental Stress in the Supine and Upright Postures

Nathan T. Kuipers1, Charity L. Sauder1, Jason R. Carter2, and Chester A. Ray3*

1 Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States; Heart & Vascular Institute, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
2 Department of Exercise Science, Health, and Physical Education, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, United States
3 Heart & Vascular Institute, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: caray{at}psu.edu.

The purpose of this study was to determine neurovascular responses to mental stress (MS) in the supine and upright postures. MS was elicited in 23 subjects (26±1y) by 5 min of mental arithmetic. In Study 1 (n=9), Doppler ultrasound was used to measure mean blood velocity in the renal (RBFV) and superior mesenteric arteries (SMBFV), and plethysmography was used to measure forearm blood flow (FBF). In Study 2 (n=14), leg blood flow (LBF; n=9) was measured by Doppler ultrasound and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA; n=5) was measured by microneurography. At rest, upright posture increased heart rate and MSNA and decreased LBF, FBF, RBFV, and SMBFV and their respective conductances. MS elicited similar increases in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP;~12 mmHg) and heart rate (~17 beats/min) regardless of posture. MS in both postures elicited a decrease in RBFV, SMBFV, and their conductances and an increase in LBF, FBF, and their conductances. Changes in blood flow were blunted in the upright posture in all vascular beds examined, but the pattern of the vascular response was the same as the supine posture. MS did not change MSNA in either posture (~{Delta}1±3 bursts/min and ~{Delta}3±3 bursts/min, respectively). In conclusion, the augmented sympathetic activity of the upright posture does not alter heart rate, MAP, or MSNA responses to MS. MS elicits divergent vascular responses in the visceral and peripheral vasculature. These results indicate that although the upright posture attenuates vascular responses to MS, the pattern of neurovascular responses does not differ between postures.




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