Reproducible increases in blood pressure during intermittent noise exposure: underlying haemodynamic mechanisms specific to passive coping

Summary

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the reproducibility of the increases in blood pressure found in our recent study on exposure to intermittent noise, to confirm the haemodynamic mechanism raising blood pressure (via an increase in peripheral vascular resistance expected to be specific to passive coping), and to assess baroreceptor cardiac reflex sensitivity in connection with the blood pressure elevation. A group of 16 young normotensive men participated in the experiment and underwent a 10-min intermittent exposure to pink noise at 100 dB (sound pressure level). The subjects also underwent three other stresses: a 1-min cold pressor test, a 3-min isometric handgrip and 3-min of mental arithmetic. The results indicated that blood pressure was elevated reproducibly for most of the noise exposure periods and that peripheral vascular resistance increased simultaneously, as expected. Baroreflex sensitivity was not suppressed. The results, as a whole, were in agreement with our recent findings for exposure to a similar type of noise and thus the reproducibility was corroborated. The mechanism raising blood pressure was similar in the cold pressor test. Conversely, during the isometric handgrip and mental arithmetic, blood pressure elevations were attributable mainly to increases in cardiac output. The implications of the opposing haemodynamic mechanisms raising blood pressure among the four stressful tasks have been discussed in relation to active versus passive coping required for each task. Differences in the magnitude of suppression observed in baroreflex sensitivity among the tasks have also been discussed in the context of defence reactions.