title: Tonic blood pressure modulates the relationship between baroreceptor cardiac reflex sensitivity and cognitive performance.
abstract: This study explored the effects of tonic blood pressure on the association between baroreceptor cardiac reflex sensitivity and cognitive performance. Sixty female participants completed a mental arithmetic task. Baroreceptor reflex sensitivity was assessed using sequence analysis. An interaction was found, indicating that the relationship between baroreceptor reflex sensitivity and cognitive performance is modulated by blood pressure levels. Reflex sensitivity was inversely associated to performance indices in the subgroup of participants with systolic blood pressure above the mean, whereas the association was positive in participants with systolic values below the mean. These results are in accordance with the findings in the field of pain perception and suggest that tonic blood pressure modulates the inhibitory effects of baroreceptor stimulation on high central nervous functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain. greyes@ujaen.es
authors.forename: Gustavo A Reyes
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Del Paso
authors.forename: M Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duschek
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011311:Pressoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult