Key result
Mental stress significantly increased leg muscle sympathetic nerve activity during stress and recovery, while arm muscle sympathetic nerve activity only increased during recovery.
Why the study?
Does mental stress increase muscle sympathetic nerve activity in the leg and cause a dissociation of muscle sympathetic nerve activity in the arm and the leg in healthy men?
Does mental stress increase muscle sympathetic nerve activity in the leg and cause a dissociation of muscle sympathetic nerve activity in the arm and the leg in healthy men?
Mental stress causes a dissociation of sympathetic nerve activity between arm and leg muscles, overriding baroreceptor control in the leg, which may explain regional differences in blood flow.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Hypothesis-generating for stress-related regional vascular control; leaves open relevance to hypertension or patient outcomes.
Anderson et al. (1987) studied Healthy (n=13). Mental stress (mental arithmetic) vs. Rest/recovery was evaluated on Muscle sympathetic nerve activity in arm and leg. Mental stress significantly increased leg muscle sympathetic nerve activity during stress and recovery, while arm muscle sympathetic nerve activity only increased during recovery.
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