Cold Pressor Test Lab Report

Cold pressor test is widely used as test for auto- nomic functions. It has been used as diagnostic test for diseases like hypertension and other cardiac auto- nomic disorders. During cold pressor test , the hand or foot is immersed in cold water bath held at a con- stant temperature at 80 C. Cold water immersion activates afferent pain and temperature neurons, re- sulting in a centrally mediated stimulation of sympa- thetic efferent neurons. In healthy subjects , the CPT causes increase in blood pressure , heart rate and toatal peripheral resistance 1. Use of cold pressor test was reported by Leblank (1960) in fishermen 2. Following this, the response to cold pressor test has been re- ported in healthy subjects and
Subjects reported to laboratory 2 hours after light lunch. They were explained in detail about the experimental procedure. Informed consent was taken from all subjects. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded by using automatic sphygmomanometer
(National). Study was done in 2 steps. Each subject lied in left lateral position (step-1) posture for 10 minutes.
SBP, DBP and HR were recorded from left arm. Then the subject was asked to dip his right hand in cold water at 8Oc for two min and above parameters were recorded again from left arm immediately and after 5 minutes of removal of right hand from cold water. The above tests were repeated with subjects in right lateral position (step-2). The parameters were recorded from right arm in step-2. Statistical analysis was done by paired t- test using the window SPSS Statistics 17.0 version.Cold pressor test is an autonomic function test in which cold stimulus causes intense stimulation of sympathetic nervous system 1. Immersion of hand in cold water produced marked increase in heart rate. This increase in heart rate has been attributed to an
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