Comparison of Stress Responses between Mental Tasks and White Noise Exposure

• Liu Xinxin

  Graduate School of Science and Technology, Chiba University

• Iwanaga Koichi

  Graduate School of Science and Technology, Chiba University

• Shimomura Yoshihiro

  Faculty of Engineering, Chiba University

• Katsuura Tetsuo

  Faculty of Engineering, Chiba University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the cardiovascular responses to different types of mental stress. Ten healthy males performed a mental arithmetic task (MA) on one day and were exposed to white noise (WN, 80dB) on another day. Both the MA and the WN were composed of four 5-min consecutive periods with a 3-min rest between them. On each day, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were measured continually during the entire experimental period. The changes from the baseline (Δ) in all periods were calculated for both mental stresses.<br>As for the results, the ΔMAP, ΔCO, ΔHR, and ΔTPR in the MA did not significantly change during the task periods. However, in the WN, the ΔMAP and ΔTPR showed significant increases over the time of the consecutive periods. In addition, we discuss the response patterns for the two mental stresses. We examine three hemodynamic reactivity patterns: a cardiac pattern characterized by increased CO and decreased TPR, a mixed pattern characterized by a moderate increase in both CO and TPR, and a vascular pattern characterized by increased TPR and decreased CO. The results show that throughout all task/exposure periods, the response pattern remained the same for six subjects in each stress. Furthermore, of these six subjects, half showed the same response pattern in both the MA and the WN.<br>In conclusion, compared to the MA task, consecutive WN exposure showed an accumulation of stress responses. A change in TPR contributed to a gradual increase in MAP in the WN. It is also possible that among the subjects there were different types of response to the MA and WN.

Journal

• Journal of PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

  Journal of PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 26 (2), 165-171, 2007

  Japan Society of Physiological Anthropology

Keywords

• cardiovascular responses
• response pattern
• mental task
• white noise

Details

• CRID: 1390282680232441984
• NII Article ID: 110006243407
• NII Book ID: AA12113950
• DOI: 10.2114/jpa2.26.165
• COI: 1:STN:280:DC%2BD2s3is1Wqtg%3D%3D
• ISSN: 18806805
• ISSN: 18806791
• PubMed: 17435360
• Web Site: http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/10778282
• Web Site: https://search.jamas.or.jp/link/ui/2007236623
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • Crossref
  • PubMed
  • NDL-Digital
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed