Jd. Rollnik et al., Cardiovascular reactions induced by unpredictable, predictable, and controllable painful stimuli during sphygmomanometry, INT J PSYCP, 40(2), 2001, pp. 161-165
Sphygmomanometry is the most common technique of blood pressure (BP) determ
ination. In order to study effects of predictability and controllability in
sphygmomanometric BP measurements, 72 normotensive healthy subjects were e
xamined. BP was determined continuously and non-invasively using a Finapres
device (Penaz-technique) and by sphygmomanometry. Five sphygmomanometric m
easurements took place, during the fourth the arm cuff was inflated to 300
mmHg, the others were done with a pressure of 175 mmHg. Subjects were rando
mly assigned to one of three groups: In one group the recordings were unpre
dictable to the subject, in the second group measurements were announced 1
min before cuff inflation took place, and in the third group, subjects coul
d decide when the sphygmomanometric recordings should occur. With unpredict
able measurements systolic and diastolic BP decreased (approx. 5 mmHg). Whe
n sphygmomanometric recordings were controllable or predictable to the subj
ect BP remained relatively stable. We would suggest that automatic BP devic
es (e.g. in ambulatory BP monitoring) should generally work with acoustic s
ignals, making cuff inflation predictable for the subject. (C) 2001 Elsevie
r Science B.V. All rights reserved.