Cardiovascular reactivity to and recovery from cold face test

• Published in: The FASEB journal 2022-05, Vol.36 (S1), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Saperova, Elena V., Dimitriev, Dmitry A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0892-6638; 1530-6860
• DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.S1.R3685

The purpose of this study was to investigate reactivity and recovery to primarily parasympathetic stimulation by cold face test. Sixty five students with a mean age of 20.61±0.13 years take part in the study (86% women, 14% men). They were studied in the morning hours in a quiet room at a comfortable temperature. Time domain (SDNN, RMSSD, pNN50), frequency domain (TP, HF, VLF, LF and LF/HF ratio) and nonlinear (SD1, SD2, ApEn, SampEn, D2, DFA1, DFA2) parameters of HRV were obtained from all participants for 5 minutes before, 5 minutes during and 5 minutes after cold face test (0–1 °C cold compresses) in a supine position. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann‐Whitney test. Heart rate during cold face test was significantly lower than that during rest period (74.03±1.26 vs 76.74±1.21 beat/min, p=0.006). After cold face test cessation heart rate displayed significant decrease compared to cold face test period (71.96±1.17 vs 74.03±1.26 beat/min, p=0.001). Time domain parameters were found to be higher during cold face test than that during rest (SDNN: 52.6±2.85 vs 43.61±2.23 ms, p=0.006; RMSSD: 59.87±4.08 vs 44.99±2.93 ms, p=0.001 and pNN50: 30.49±2.38 vs 22.07±2.13 %, p=0.003). During recovery period time domain parameters remain to be higher, than that during rest: SDNN – 47.97±2.29 ms, RMSSD – 52.16±3.35 ms, pNN50 – 27.24±2.38%. There was no differences during rest period, cold face test and recovery period in TP (2097.89±249.98 vs 2517.24±301.8 vs 2176.12±204 ms2, p=0.744), VLF (83.59±9.99 vs 92.44±12.21 vs 88.33±7.85 ms2, p=0.359), LF (932.86±107.70 vs 1024.98±132.06 ms2, vs 928.54±83.35, p=0.896). High frequency parameter was significantly higher during cold face test than that during rest (1395.36±184.39 vs 1078.11±143.13 ms2, p=0.013). After cold test HF parameter was 1156.11±129.74 ms2(p>0.05). Nonlinear measures were significantly higher during cold face test than that during rest (SD1: 42.39±2.89 vs 31.83±2.07 ms, p=0.001; SD2: 60.52±3.04 vs 52.45±2.50 ms, p=0.025). During recovery period nonlinear parameters remain to be higher, than that during rest: SD1 – 36.92±2.29 ms, SD2 – 56.34±2.44 ms, pNN50 – 27.24±2.38%. ApEn and DFA1 were significantly lower during cold face test than that during rest (respectively, 1.15±0.01 vs 1.40±0.01 and 0.87±0.03 vs 1.01±0.02, p