Abstract
Photoplethysmography (PPG) built in a PC mouse was used to determine the cardiovascular responses to emotional and physical stressors. Subjects (N=7) were asked to hold the PPG mouse during mental arithmetic test (mental stress: MSt), Valsalva test and cold pressor test (physical stress: PSt), and recovery period from the exercise (post exercise: pEx). In each protocol, PPG and ECG were simultaneously recorded. Negative peaks in the PPG (N wave) were detected as the R waves in the ECG, and N-N intervals and R-R intervals were measured respectively. As a result, there was a close correlation between the N-N intervals and the R-R intervals (coefficient of determination: R2 = 0.962). The amplitude of N wave decreased in MSt and PSt, which to the contrary increased in pEx. These results suggest that the pulse wave is monitored and the vasoconstriction can be determined as a response to the stressors by using of the PPG mouse.
