Adaptation to a sustained stimulus is an important phenomenon in psychophysical experiments. When studying the response to an experimental task, the investigator has to account for the change in perceived stimulus intensity with repeated stimulus application and, if the stimulus is sustained, for the change in intensity during the presentation. An example of a sustained stimulus is the cold pre...

The purpose of this study was to compare sympathetic nerve activity responses to the cold pressor test in black and white normotensive subjects. We recorded muscle sympathetic nerve activity (microneurography of the peroneal nerve), arterial blood pressure, and heart rate in 9 normotensive American blacks (24 +/- 2 years, mean +/- SEM) and 10 normotensive American whites (28 +/- 2 years) at res...

The left cradling preference refers to the finding that women hold their infants more frequently on the left side of their own bodies. Several observational studies showed reduced left cradling during stressful circumstances, such as mother-infant separation, or domestic violence. However, until now no experimental study was conducted to investigate the immediate impact of stress on cradling be...

This study examined whether intranasal oxytocin enhances the stress-buffering effects of social support during experimentally induced pain, taking into account role individual differences in attachment security. Female participants (N = 193) were randomly assigned to (24 IU intranasal) or placebo and receive no from a friend (2 × 2 factorial design with repeated measures)). Participants underwe...

Venous compliance is lower in older adults compared with younger adults. It is possible that alterations in venous smooth muscle tone and responsiveness may contribute to the age-related differences in venous compliance. To determine the effects of sympathetic activation [cold pressor test (cold pressor test); rhythmic ischemic handgrip (rhythmic ischemic handgrip)] and endothelium-independent ...

Traffic noise is one of the varied causative factors for stress, especially in cities like Chennai. Added to the other risks for stress, traffic policemen are victimized to this too. Blood pressure is an indicator to assess the cardiac status in stress. Increased cardiovascular reactivity to the CPT (Cold Pressor Test) helps to predict the future development of hypertension. So, the present stu...

Hypertensive patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries may have myocardial ischemia when metabolic demand increases. Abnormal epicardial coronary artery vasomotion in response to sympathetic stimulation may contribute to ischemia in such patients. We studied the vasomotor response of smooth coronary arteries to a cold pressor test in 10 hypertensive patients without other risk fac...

Single-breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (Dsb) was measured before and during immersion of one hand in ice water (cold pressor test) in the following three groups of subjects: (1) normal subjects; (2) patients with isolated Raynaud's disease; and (3) patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and progressive systemic sclerosis. No change in Dsb was found in normal subjects or patients with prog...

Virtual reality (VR) technology may serve as an effective non-pharmacological analgesic to aid pain management. During VR distraction, the individual is immersed in a game presented through a head-mounted display (HMD). The technological level of the HMD can vary, as can the use of different input devices and the inclusion of sound. While more technologically advanced designs may lead to more e...