A New Method to Study Blood Pressure, Heart Rate and EEG as a Function of Reaction Time

A. O. Värri; L. Grote; T. Penzel; W. Cassel; J. H. Peter; J. Hasan

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1634960

Methods of Information in Medicine, Table of Contents

Methods Inf Med 1994; 33(01): 64-67
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1634960

Original Article

Schattauer GmbH

A New Method to Study Blood Pressure, Heart Rate and EEG as a Function of Reaction Time

A. O. Värri

¹Medical Policlinic of Marburg University, Marburg, Germany

²Signal Processing Laboratory, Tampere University of Technology

,

L. Grote

¹Medical Policlinic of Marburg University, Marburg, Germany

,

T. Penzel

¹Medical Policlinic of Marburg University, Marburg, Germany

,

W. Cassel

¹Medical Policlinic of Marburg University, Marburg, Germany

,

J. H. Peter

¹Medical Policlinic of Marburg University, Marburg, Germany

,

J. Hasan

³Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Abstract:

A new method is presented to study the relationship between reaction time and blood pressure, heart rate and EEG. The method consists of a simultaneous recording of continuous invasive or non-invasive arterial blood pressure, ECG, EEG, EMG and EOG in a sound-isolated chamber while a monotonous visual reaction time test is running for about 90 minutes. The signals are A/D-converted and analyzed digitally after recording. One second average amplitudes are computed. Systolic, mean and diastolic blood pressure values are calculated, and the EEG is divided into the delta, theta, alpha, sigma and beta frequency bands. The signal amplitudes are averaged in three different reaction time categories, i. e., when the reaction is normal, delayed or missing. Preliminary tests suggest that interesting differences can be observed in the studied variables in different reaction time classes. This method can also be applied to the investigation of autonomic control and to treatment studies.

Keywords

Vigilance - Cardiovascular Responses - Blood Pressure - EEG Responses - Biosignal Processing

Full Text

References

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