UNDERESTIMATION OF SENSORIMOTOR TASK-INDUCED BLOOD-PRESSURE CHANGES BY POSTTASK SPHYGMOMANOMETRY

For assessment of cardiovascular effects of sensorimotor work, blood p ressure is commonly measured by arm sphygmomanometry. A technique intr oduced by Penaz makes it feasible to monitor blood pressure noninvasiv ely and continuously from the finger artery which measures give high c orrelations with intraarterial measurement. This study compared blood- pressure changes induced by a standard sensorimotor task using sphygmo manometry and the Penaz-method It was investigated whether sphygmomano metrically recorded blood pressure can be used to estimate task-induce d blood-pressure changes and whether inflating the cuff to different m aximum pressures induces blood-pressure changes. 46 normotensive indiv iduals were randomly assigned to the discomfort group (maximum arm-cuf f pressure of 280 mmHg) or to the control group (maximum arm-cuff pres sure of 160 mmHg). The experiment consisted of six tasks of 4 min. eac h. Results indicated that sphygmomanometries underestimated task-induc ed blood-pressure changes and that phasic systolic and diastolic blood -pressure elevations during the task were leveled off shortly after th e end of the task. Effects of 'cuff-inflation hypertension' were not f ound. The Penaz-method appears to be more appropriate than sphygmomano metry if dynamic aspects of blood pressure are of interest.