Cardiovascular responses to cognitive task demands: A systematic review

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266376596

Cardiovascular responses to cognitive task demands: A systematic review Conference Paper in International Journal of Psychophysiology · September 2014 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.08.875

CITATIONS

READS

0

72

4 authors, including: Maarten A Immink

Russell Weili Chan

University of South Australia

University of South Australia

60 PUBLICATIONS 343 CITATIONS

9 PUBLICATIONS 18 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

SEE PROFILE

Kade Davison University of South Australia 24 PUBLICATIONS 213 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Meditation for the promotion of motor memory consolidation. View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Russell Weili Chan on 03 October 2014. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Cardiovascular Responses to Cognitive Task Demands: A Systematic Review. Maarten A Immink , Russell W Chan , Joshua Rosenthal , Kade Davison University of South Australia, Motor Neuroscience Laboratories, School of Health Sciences, Adelaide, Australia

Abstract Cardiovascular responses (CV) such as heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) are accepted as indicators of physiological demand and psychological stress. However, less is known about how HR and BP respond to cognitive demands independently from the influences of physiological demand and psychological stress. To this end, the present systematic review aimed to ascertain the effect of cognitive demand on cardiovascular measures. Articles were searched on the PubMed, CINAHL and Psychinfo database using keyword combinations, "Mental or Cognitive", and "Demand or Workload”, and "Heart rate or Blood pressure”. Following a Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome (PICO) strategy, the review included articles written in English, involving healthy adult participants, contrasting at least 2 levels of cognitive demand, inducing cognitive demand independently of threat, anxiety, alertness or physical exercise and assessing HR or BP. The Quality Index (QI), developed by Downs and Black (1998) was used to critically appraise included studies. Out of a total of 1,181 studies found through database search, 5 studies met the inclusion criteria and where reviewed. Mean QI for reviewed studies was 18.4, out of 31, ranging between 13 and 21. All studies assessed HR while only 2 assessed systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP). Two studies employed mental arithmetic tasks to manipulate cognitive demand, while another two involved reaction time tasks and one a Stroop task. All studies reported an observed association between increased CV responses and increased cognitive demand. However, only two reported significant increases in HR or DBP due to increased cognitive demand using a Stroop task and mental arithmetic, respectively. Across the studies reviewed, there was no consensus that increasing cognitive demand resulted in increased HR and BP responses. Equivocal results might be attributable to the use of differing tasks and task conditions, a variety of experimental designs and dissimilar contrast between levels of cognitive demands. For example, verbal response versions of mental arithmetic and Stroop task appeared to result in greater CV responses. Where a repeated measures, cross-over design was utilized, CV responses where greater in the first exposure regardless of the level of cognitive demand. Lastly, contrast of low to high levels of cognitive demand demonstrated larger increases in CV responses as opposed to a contrast of high to impossible conditions. This suggests that CV responses may increase up to the individual’s processing capacity but beyond that, increased cognitive demand will not influence HR or BP. Presented by: Chan, Russell W

Regular submission (not a symposium)