Immediate Effect of Slow Deep Breathing Exercise on Blood Pressure and Reaction Time. 2019

S A Manandhar, and T Pramanik
Dr Seerina Adhikari Manandhar, Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Nepal Medical College, Jorpati, Kathmandu, Nepal; E-Mail: seerina1978@gmail.com.

Blood pressure in our body is finely regulated through autonomic nervous system and cardiac centers and studies established that parasympathetic dominance exerted by slow deep breathing decreases blood pressure. Reaction time is an estimate of the subject's capacity for inhibiting pre-potent motor responses. Decreased reaction time indicates greater alertness, faster information processing and less distractibility. Nevertheless, there has been conflicting results about the effect of deep slow breathing on reaction time The present research targeted a community based cross sectional observational study (n=80, age=17-70 years) performed in Lalitpur Municipality, Ward number-14, Nepal from May 2019 to June 2019, to observe the immediate effect of slow deep breathing exercise on blood pressure and reaction time by using online visual reaction time test. Volunteers performed the slow breathing exercise (approximately 4seconds inhalation and 6 seconds exhalation) in Sukhasana for 5 minutes. Base-line and post-slow-breathing blood pressure and visual reaction time was recorded and compared. Decrease in systolic and diastolic pressure was recorded in all, but statistically insignificant. Among the whole study population, significant decrease (p<0.001) in reaction time was noted (90.35±13.96 msVs 76.68±9.90 ms). Among male subjects of age-group 17-28 years, and 50-70 years, significant decrease in reaction time was noted (p<0.05) whereas, among the female subjects of all age groups, reaction time decreased significantly (p<0.05). Decrease in reaction time signifies improved central neuronal processing activity. This may be due to greater arousal, faster information processing, and ability to ignore or inhibit extraneous stimuli. Hence, regular practice of slow deep breathing exercise may be beneficial to lower blood pressure and to improve concentration.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D009390 Nepal Country located in southern Asia, between China and India. The capital is Kathmandu. Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
D011930 Reaction Time The time from the onset of a stimulus until a response is observed. Response Latency,Response Speed,Response Time,Latency, Response,Reaction Times,Response Latencies,Response Times,Speed, Response,Speeds, Response
D001794 Blood Pressure PRESSURE of the BLOOD on the ARTERIES and other BLOOD VESSELS. Systolic Pressure,Diastolic Pressure,Pulse Pressure,Pressure, Blood,Pressure, Diastolic,Pressure, Pulse,Pressure, Systolic,Pressures, Systolic
D001945 Breathing Exercises Therapeutic exercises aimed to deepen inspiration or expiration or even to alter the rate and rhythm of respiration. Respiratory Muscle Training,Exercise, Breathing,Muscle Training, Respiratory,Training, Respiratory Muscle
D003430 Cross-Sectional Studies Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time. Disease Frequency Surveys,Prevalence Studies,Analysis, Cross-Sectional,Cross Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Survey,Surveys, Disease Frequency,Analyses, Cross Sectional,Analyses, Cross-Sectional,Analysis, Cross Sectional,Cross Sectional Analyses,Cross Sectional Studies,Cross Sectional Survey,Cross-Sectional Analyses,Cross-Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Study,Cross-Sectional Surveys,Disease Frequency Survey,Prevalence Study,Studies, Cross-Sectional,Studies, Prevalence,Study, Cross-Sectional,Study, Prevalence,Survey, Cross-Sectional,Survey, Disease Frequency,Surveys, Cross-Sectional
D005260 Female Females
D006339 Heart Rate The number of times the HEART VENTRICLES contract per unit of time, usually per minute. Cardiac Rate,Chronotropism, Cardiac,Heart Rate Control,Heartbeat,Pulse Rate,Cardiac Chronotropy,Cardiac Chronotropism,Cardiac Rates,Chronotropy, Cardiac,Control, Heart Rate,Heart Rates,Heartbeats,Pulse Rates,Rate Control, Heart,Rate, Cardiac,Rate, Heart,Rate, Pulse
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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