Skip Navigation

European Heart Journal 1992 13(3):304-309;
Copyright © 1992 by the European Society of Cardiology.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by BELKIC, K.
Right arrow Articles by SAVIC, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by BELKIC, K.
Right arrow Articles by SAVIC, S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1992 The European Society of Cardiology

EEG arousal and cardiovascular reactivity in professional drivers: the glare pressor test

K. BELKIC*, D. ERCEGOVAC{dagger}, C. SAVIC{dagger}, B. PANIC{ddagger}, M. DJORDJEVIC*, and S. SAVIC§

*Center for Pacing and Electrophysiology, University Clinical Center Belgrade, YU
{dagger}Institute for Mental Health, Department of Psychophysiology and Clinical Neurophysiology Belgrade, YU
{ddagger}Institute of Physics Belgrade, YU
§Institute of Occupational Health. Department of Ergopthalmology Belgrade, YU

Received 22 November 1990; revised 2 July 1991; .

Correspondence. Professor Milan Djordjevic. MD. DSci. Center for Pacing and Electrophsiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, K. Todorovica X 11000 Belgrade. Yugoslavia

Abstract

Patterns of electroencephalographic (EEG) and polygraphically recorded cardiovascular (CV) reactivity to the glare pressor test (GPT,) were compared in 19 healthy, young male professional drivers and eight non-driver controls. After the first headlight impulse, 15 drivers sho wed persistent blockade of spontaneous alpha activity or complete desynchronization. This was accompanied by a significant fall in digital pulse amplitude anda significant rise in diastolic blood pressure (BP) (7.3±9.5 mmHg). Most drivers recovered baseline alpha activity and showed milder diastolic BP and digital pulse changes after the final (5th) glare impulse. However, in two drivers this last glare stimulus elicited the most pronounced changes: in one case a rapid onset of ventricular extrasystoles and in the other, maximal rise in diastolic BP, together with a persistently desynchronized EEG. No significant effects of the GPT upon central and CV indices were found in the control group.

These results indicate that drivers show cardiovascular hyperreactivity to the GPT, with strong central arousal as expected during night driving when an on-coming headlight can represent impending danger and the need for accurate and timely responses to avoid a collision. Once optimal stimulus parameters for routine application are determined, the glare pressor test with EEG and polygraphic recording will offer a clinically useful, standardizable method for evaluating the connection between central mechanisms and CV reactivity in professional drivers, a cohort of patients whose occupational activity epitomizes mentally stressful work, and who are at high cardiac risk.

Key Words: EEG arousal • cardiovascular reactivity • glare • professional drivers


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Occup. Environ. Med.Home page
F Tuchsen, H Hannerz, C Roepstorff, and N Krause
Stroke among male professional drivers in Denmark, 1994-2003
Occup. Environ. Med., July 1, 2006; 63(7): 456 - 460.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.