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Researchers in the Brain-Behaviour Laboratory at
the University of Sydney say they are on the way to imaging sites in the brain
that regulate blood pressure and the rate, rhythm and strength of the heart. In
a recent experiment, 12 healthy subjects either placed one hand in cold water or
applied a cold compress to their forehead. While these procedures were
triggering an increase in their blood pressure and a fall in their heart rate,
the researchers used a technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging to
detect and depict activity in both the higher and lower regions of the brain.
The research will be extended to people with high blood pressure to compare
their patterns of brain activity with the patterns of those already studied.