Science seminar projectScience seminar project

Stimuli’s effect on blood Stimuli’s effect on blood pressurepressure

By Matt DruckerBy Matt Drucker

IntroductionIntroduction

• Blood pressure is the force that the blood exerts Blood pressure is the force that the blood exerts on the walls of the arteries. on the walls of the arteries.

• High blood pressure results in the condition called High blood pressure results in the condition called hypertension.hypertension.

• Hypertension can cause heart attack or stroke.Hypertension can cause heart attack or stroke.• Exposure to relaxing stimuli can help prevent Exposure to relaxing stimuli can help prevent

hypertension.hypertension.• The brain regulates blood pressure by releasing The brain regulates blood pressure by releasing

epinephrine.epinephrine.• Upon receiving a stimulus, the strength of the Upon receiving a stimulus, the strength of the

heartbeat increases which raises the blood heartbeat increases which raises the blood pressure.pressure.

Introduction Cont’dIntroduction Cont’d

• Stress is the body’s physical and Stress is the body’s physical and emotional response to change.emotional response to change.

• High blood pressure is a sign of stress.High blood pressure is a sign of stress.• High stress levels can result in stroke or High stress levels can result in stroke or

heart disorders.heart disorders.• The onset of stress is caused by the The onset of stress is caused by the

body’s response to a stimulus.body’s response to a stimulus.• Depending on the stimulus the stress Depending on the stimulus the stress

levels will either increase or decrease.levels will either increase or decrease.

HypothesisHypothesis

The effects of positive stimuli will lower the blood The effects of positive stimuli will lower the blood pressure.pressure.

Negative stimuli will raise the blood pressure of Negative stimuli will raise the blood pressure of each test subject to different levels depending each test subject to different levels depending on the sensory stimulation. on the sensory stimulation.

The amount of change will range between age The amount of change will range between age groups and gender yet there will be a correlation groups and gender yet there will be a correlation between people of the same age and gender for between people of the same age and gender for each sensory stimuli. each sensory stimuli.

MethodologyMethodology I predicted which I predicted which

stimuli would lower stimuli would lower and which would raise and which would raise blood pressure.blood pressure.

I exposed 6 people to I exposed 6 people to 3pairs of each of the 5 3pairs of each of the 5 sensory stimuli: smell, sensory stimuli: smell, taste, touch, sight, taste, touch, sight, and sound. and sound.

I had a controlled I had a controlled environment and a environment and a controlled time to get controlled time to get more accurate results.more accurate results.

www.sirinet.net/ ~jgjohnso/brain.html

Results Page 1Results Page 1Positive stimuli for Girl#1

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

TSp GSp ASp OSp VSp

Stimuli

Ch

an

ge

in S

ys

tolic

Blo

od

P

res

su

re Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Average

This is the graph of one subject and all of her results to the individual stimuli. The y-axis is the change in blood pressure and the x-axis is the stimuli.

Negative stimuli forGirl#1

-10

0

10

20

30

TSn GSn Asn Osn VSn

Stimuli

Cha

nge

in S

ysto

lic

Blo

od P

ress

ure Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Average

Results page 2Results page 2

stimulistimulitrial trial

#1#1trial trial

#2#2trial trial

#3#3

TSpTSp 1414 33 44 77

GSpGSp -1-1 -8-8 1212 11

ASpASp -7-7 66 44 11

OSpOSp -10-10 -6-6 00

--5.35.3

33333333

VSpVSp -13-13 -8-8 -1-1

--7.37.3

33333333

stimulistimulitrial trial #1#1

trial trial #2#2

trial trial #3#3

TSnTSn -6-6 99 552.66662.6666

6767

GSnGSn 2323 77 7712.33312.333

3333

AsnAsn 2323 00 1010 1111

OsnOsn -2-2 1212 334.33334.3333

3333

VSnVSn 1313 11 11 55

Results page 3Results page 3

Overall Results for Each Subject

0

5

10

15

20

G1 G2 B1 B2 W1 W2

Subjects

Ch

ang

e in

sys

toli

c B

loo

d

Pre

ssu

re

tactile

gustatory

auditory

oflactory

visual

Results page 4Results page 4

person trial#1 trial#2 trial#3 Average person trial#1 trial#2 trial#3 AverageG1 4 3 14 7 G1 10 6 0 5.333333G2 4 5 0 3 G2 0 6 6 4B1 3 9 4 5.333333 B1 5 8 9 7.333333B2 4 4 10 6 B2 4 1 2 2.333333W1 3 31 22 18.66667 W1 1 9 11 7W2 6 4 6 5.333333 W2 7 2 14 7.666667

G1 1 8 12 7G2 1 5 0 2 G1 13 8 1 7.333333B1 4 5 5 4.666667 G2 9 9 6 8B2 2 3 13 6 B1 11 8 7 8.666667W1 9 4 27 13.33333 B2 5 2 0 2.333333W2 15 10 16 13.66667 W1 2 3 5 3.333333

W2 4 4 13 7G1 7 6 4 5.666667G2 2 3 1 2B1 2 5 6 4.333333B2 1 8 10 6.333333W1 10 10 10 10W2 3 9 9 7

conclusionsconclusions

• I have concluded that the older people have a higher response to stressors than younger people.

• The Visual stimuli had a greater affect on the younger subjects.

• The tactile and gustatory stimuli had a greater affect on the older subjects.

• Taste seemed to have a lower effect on the blood pressure.

• There was no clear difference of results between the gender of the subjects.

Future studiesFuture studies

• These results could lead to a more These results could lead to a more advanced study where more people are advanced study where more people are tested with more stimuli. tested with more stimuli.

• These results can be used to develop the These results can be used to develop the most affective method for treating stress most affective method for treating stress to lower the risk of stress-related to lower the risk of stress-related disorders. The stimuli that had the disorders. The stimuli that had the greatest affects on lowering blood greatest affects on lowering blood pressure can be combined to create this.pressure can be combined to create this.