Title
Blood pressure-independent neurogenic effect on conductance and resistance vessels: a consideration for cuffless blood pressure measurement?
Abstract
Background: Pulse transit time (PTT) and pulse arrival time (PAT) are promising measures for cuffless arterial blood pressure (BP) estimation given the intrinsic arterial stiffness-BP relationship. However, arterial stiffness (and PTT) is altered by autonomically-driven smooth muscle tension changes, potentially independent of BP. This would limit PTT or PAT as accurate BP correlates, more so in resistance vessels than conductance arteries. Objective: To quantify if there is a measurable neurogenic effect on PAT measured using photoplethysmography (PPG) (path includes resistance vessels) and radial artery tonometry (path includes only conductance vessels) during physiologically induced BP changes. Methods: PATs were measured continuously in participants (n=15, 35 +/- 15 years, 9 male) using an electrocardiogram and, simultaneously, a Finometer (R) PRO finger sensor, a finger PPG sensor and radial artery tonometer during seated rest, cold pressor test, cycling and isometric handgrip (IHG) exercise. Delta BP/Delta PAT was calculated for each sensor and each condition. Results: All interventions significantly increased BP. A significant difference was observed in Delta BP/Delta PAT between cycling and both the cold pressor test and IHG exercise (p<0.05). Delta BP/Delta PAT did not differ whether measured via PPG or tonometry. Conclusions: Under the conditions tested, autonomic function does not have a BP-independent effect on PAT where the path includes resistance vessels (PPG signal), likely due to the speed of the wave and the short path length of resistance vessels. Autonomic function therefore does not limit the ability for use of PPG as a signal for potentially estimating BP without a cuff.
Year
DOI
Venue
2021
10.1109/EMBC46164.2021.9629936
2021 43RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY SOCIETY (EMBC)
Keywords
DocType
Volume
cuffless blood pressure, photoplethysmography, tonometry, pulse transit time, pulse arrival time, arterial stiffness, wearable devices
Conference
2021
ISSN
Citations 
PageRank 
1557-170X
0
0.34
References 
Authors
0
6
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
James Cox100.68
Albert Avolio23216.60
Kyrollos Louka300.68
Fatemeh Shirbani400.34
Isabella Tan500.68
Mark Butlin600.68