The modulation of neural blood pressure control by blood pressure pulsatility

Abstract

The neural control of blood pressure involves effectors related both to peripheral resistance and the heart. These mechanisms, using blood pressure measurements from the baroreceptors, work in unison to maintain blood pressure at an acceptable value. However, it is less well known that the neural baroreflex is affected by the pulsatile nature of blood flow, which also modulates the blood pressure signal. Furthermore, the presence, or absence, of low-frequency (circa 0.1 Hz in humans) oscillations in blood pressure may be predicated on the pulsatility, or lack of pulsatility. The absence of pulsatility may be found in patients with artificial (turbine type) hearts, or with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). This paper shows the effect of pulsatility on the neural baroreflex, and consequently on the generation of low-frequency oscillations, via simulation results.