Cold pressor test
Template:Search infobox Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
The cold pressor test is a cardiovascular test performed by immersing the hand into an ice-water container, usually for one minute, and measuring changes in blood pressure and heart rate. Its response is clinically indicative concerning vascular response and pulse excitability.
Physiology
Sensory afferents trigger a systemic sympathetic activation leading to marked vasodilation. The result is an elevated pulse pressure(normal is 70mm Hg), due to catecholamine release. This increased pressure fills the ventricle to a greater extent, but stroke volume decreases for by an increase in afterload.
References
A. B. Lafleche et al. Arterial response during cold pressor test in borderline hypertension. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 275: H409-H415, 1998;