Graded Cerebral Activation to Noise: Behavioral and Cardiovascular Effects

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorFoster, Paul S.en
dc.contributor.committeechairHarrison, David W.en
dc.contributor.committeememberEisler, Richard M.en
dc.contributor.committeememberFriedman, Bruce H.en
dc.contributor.committeememberCrawford, Helen J.en
dc.contributor.committeememberClum, George A. Jr.en
dc.contributor.departmentPsychologyen
dc.date.accessioned2011-08-22T19:00:21Zen
dc.date.adate2004-04-27en
dc.date.available2011-08-22T19:00:21Zen
dc.date.issued2004-04-21en
dc.date.rdate2004-04-27en
dc.date.sdate2004-04-25en
dc.description.abstractResearch has indicated that the frontal and temporal lobes are involved in the mediation of heart rate and blood pressure. However, whereas these regions of the brain have been identified in the mediation of heart rate and blood pressure, the specific cerebral processes involved in determining the direction and magnitude of change in heart rate and blood pressure has not been adequately addressed. The present paper proposes that changes in the magnitude of cerebral activation between the left and right frontal and temporal lobes is partly that which determines the direction and magnitude of changes in heart rate and blood pressure. The present investigation sought to test part of this proposition, namely, that increasing magnitude of cerebral activity within the right anterior temporal region generates increasing levels of sympathetic control of heart rate and blood pressure and that the right lateral frontal region acts to inhibit sympathetic activity. A total of 45 right handed men, with no history of significant head injury, were exposed to 55 dB, 75 dB, and 90 dB white noise presentations. Right frontal lobe functioning was assessed by performance on the Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT), with the participants scoring in the lower one-third classified as Low Fluency. Those scoring in the upper one-third were classified as High Fluency. Quantitative electroencephalography, measured at 19 electrodes sites arranged according to the International 10/20 System, as well as heart rate and blood pressure responses to white noise presentation were measured. Although the results failed to support any of the hypotheses concerning the effects of varying intensity of white noise on cardiovascular activity, partial support was found for the hypotheses that varying intensity of white noise would generate differential changes in high beta magnitude between the Low and High Fluency groups. The results are discussed in terms of support for the model being tested. Alternative explanations of the findings are also provided that demonstrate correspondence between the QEEG and cardiovascular data. Finally, limitations of the model and the methods of the present investigation are discussed and suggestions for improvement are provided.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.otheretd-04252004-223240en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04252004-223240en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/11146en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartDissCompletePDF.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectParasympathetic Nervous Systemen
dc.subjectHeart Rateen
dc.subjectBlood Pressureen
dc.subjectSympathetic Nervous Systemen
dc.subjectAutonomic Nervous Systemen
dc.subjectEEGen
dc.subjectQuantitative Electroencephalographyen
dc.subjectCerebral Lateralityen
dc.titleGraded Cerebral Activation to Noise: Behavioral and Cardiovascular Effectsen
dc.typeDissertationen
thesis.degree.disciplinePsychologyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
DissCompletePDF.pdf
Size:
884.97 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

Doctoral Dissertations