Journal of PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY and Applied Human Science
Online ISSN : 1347-5355
Print ISSN : 1345-3475
ISSN-L : 1345-3475
ORIGINALS
The Effect of Mental Loads on Muscle Tension, Blood Pressure and Blink Rate
Koichi IwanagaSosuke SaitoYoshihiro ShimomuraHajime HaradaTetsuo Katsuura
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2000 Volume 19 Issue 3 Pages 135-141

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Abstract

Surface electromyogram (EMG), blood pressure (BP), blink rate (BR) and heart rate (HR) were recorded before and during 4 types of mental task. The mental task involved 3 tasks that encompassed the memory (M), visual search (VS) and color-word (CW) tasks besides the control task (CT) of maintaining a similar posture while focusing on a single spot on the computer screen. Except for CW, any voluntary movement for response to visual stimuli given were not demanded. Slightly but significant increases in integrated EMG (iEMG) were shown in terapezius, biceps and gastrocnemius muscles during tasks except for CT. Especially in the trapezius muscle during M, the most remarkable enhancements of iEMG and BP were shown. In VS and CW tasks, significant decreases in BR were observed, although in M and CT tasks there were no significant changes in it. There were no significant changes in HR in any type of tasks. The present study demonstrated the increase in muscle tension due to mental needs of cognitive tasks per se accompanying changes in BP and BR. And, enhancement of these physiological responses by memory loads and eyeball movement was discussed as a possible mechanism.

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© 2000 Japan Society of Physiological Anthropology
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