Cardiovascular and Neurophysiologic Correlates of Sensory Intake and Rejection. I. Effect of Cognitive Tasks

ABSTRACT In this study of the relationship between sensory processing and cardiovascular function, five cardiovascular parameters were monitored during baseline periods and during tasks requiring either sensory intake or sensory rejection behavior on the part of 19 subjects. Sensory intake behavior was associated with a pattern of response similar lo that seen with activation of peripheral sympathetic nerves‐vasoconstriction in both the digit (skin) and forearm (skeletal muscle). In contrast, sensory rejection behavior was associated with vasodilatation in the forearm and vasoconstriction in the digit. Individual differences in an EEG measure of characteristic ways of processing sensory information were predictably associated with differences in resting cardiovascular function. The association of sensory intake with a skeletal muscle vasoconstriction may help to extend our understanding of the physiology of sensory processing, since heretofore only heart rate and somatic motor activity have reliably differentiated sensory intake from sensory rejection behavior.