title: Cardiovascular down-regulation in essential hypotension: relationships with autonomic control and sleep.
abstract: In this work, we aimed to clarify the autonomic involvement in the cardiovascular down-regulation in essential hypotension. The relationships between cardiovascular response and sleep quality were also examined. Thirteen female hypotensives and 13 female normotensives performed a stress task followed by polysomnography. Measures derived from blood pressure monitoring, impedance cardiography, and heart rate variability were collected. Hypotensives exhibited lower cardiovascular and autonomic activation than controls during the task. While a better sleep quality (i.e., higher sleep efficiency and lower nocturnal wakefulness) correlated with a reduced reactivity in normotensives, the opposite pattern occurred in hypotensives. The results suggest that a blunted response in both autonomic branches underlies the cardiovascular hypoactivation in hypotension. Further, good sleep seems to be associated with optimal levels of physiological reactivity.
authors: Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. Covassin.Naima@mayo.edu
authors: Naima
authors: N
authors: Covassin
authors: Massimiliano
authors: M
authors: de Zambotti
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Cellini
authors: Michela
authors: M
authors: Sarlo
authors: Luciano
authors: L
authors: Stegagno
mesh_terms: D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D017286:Polysomnography; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autonomic system; Cardiovascular reactivity; Heart rate variability; Hypotension; Impedance cardiography; Sleep