Involvement of carotid baroreceptor function in blood pressure control in the chronic phase: effect on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure.

Background: It is generally thought that the sole function of baroreceptors is for the regulation of rapid blood pressure fluctuations caused by postural changes and other motion. However, recent studies have suggested that baroreceptors may also be involved in blood pressure control in the chronic phase.

Purpose: The study was performed to examine the involvement of carotid baroreceptors in blood pressure control in the chronic phase, through determination of the relationship between 24-hour blood pressure data and carotid baroreceptor function.

Evaluation of the severity of dementia using expectation control function.

The results of an animal experiment without anesthesia suggested the presence of expectation control in which sympathetic nerve tone increases at rest immediately before behaviors to prepare for the subsequent behavior. We investigated whether such function is present in humans in their daily living and whether patients with dementia could be differentiated from healthy adults based on this finding. Using a Holter electrocardiograph with an acceleration sensor, electrocardiograms (ECG) and behavioral states were recorded.

The effects of physical activity and autonomic nerve tone on the daily fluctuation of blood pressure.

The effects of daily activity and autonomic nerve tone on the fluctuation of ambulatory blood pressure were studied in hypertensive patients. The autonomic nerve tone was measured by frequency domain analysis of the RR interval. Physical activity was evaluated by a walk count, converted to a walk rate (WR), recorded using a digital Holter ECG fitted with an accelerometer, with simultaneous monitoring of blood pressure (Bp).

Evaluation of the severity of chronic heart failure by the reactivity of peripheral vessels.

We developed a method to evaluate the severity of chronic cardiac failure by Doppler image analysis. Doppler images of the whole arterial lumen were consecutively recorded on video tape and the power spectrum (sum of intensity multiplied by frequency) of each frame was considered as an index of the blood flow volume (VI). The right brachial artery was occluded for 15-60 seconds by a occluding cuff, and was released quickly.