The broad objective of this research is to examine the degree to which behavioral factors can regulate blood pressure and other responses occurring during postural adjustments. A newly developed tracking-cuff method will be used to record beat-by-beat changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate and respiratory changes will be recorded simultaneously. Studies will be carried out in healthy individuals on the effects of several biofeedback training methods on blood pressure and other physiological changes occurring in sitting, standing, and sit-to-stand conditions. The responses of healthy individuals of different age groups to the procedures will be compared. Baroreceptor function will also be appraised in the different conditions. There has been little descriptive research on continuous beat-by-beat changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration during postural change or on the ability of subjects to modify these responses voluntarily. The same procedures will be applied in studies of patients suffering from postural hypotension, mainly diabetics with postural hypotension.
The aim i s to determine whether such patients can improve in their ability to maintain higher levels of blood pressure while standing up and in their self reports of symptoms related to their hypotension. The research involves the disciplines of behavioral sciences (psychology, psychophysiology), medicine, and biomedical engineering, and it is relevant to diabetes, hypertension, and other disorders involving postural hypotension. The methods may also prove useful as a screening procedure for autonomic neuropathy.
