AGE-RELATED CIRCULATORY RESPONSES TO WHOLE BODY COOL- ING: OBSERVATIONS BY BALLISTOCARDIOGRAPHIC EMFi SENSORS

The purpose was to study age related changes in circulatory system via Ballistocardiography (BCG) by utilizing Electromechanical Film (EMFi) sensors by gradually changing the ambient temperature from a thermoneutral area to cold direction. ECG and BCG were recorded from a young person (23 years) and from an older person (78 years), both males. During the tests, brachium blood pressure (BP) and pulse signals were recorded from neck and ankle (with EMFi sensor strips). Thermal camera images were taken in order to find out temperature changes in whole body and limbs. Temporal durations and amplitudes of seat BCG:s components (systolic and diastolic) as well as from pulse signals from neck and ankle were calculated. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) was obtained by utilizing the time between ECG’s R wave and maximum value of the ankle pulse signal. In both persons, the ankle pulse amplitude decreased when propagating to cold direction and increased in young person when returning to warmer ambient temperature. With young and old BCG:s systolic and diastolic temporal complexes remained stable, but systolic amplitudes increased in the older person (AHI 1.02 – 2.87, AIJ 0.7 – 2.66) as well as diastolic amplitudes (old; AKL 0.47 – 2.37). In the older person, PWV increased when moving to colder side. BP increased with a young person (from 95/64 to 132/75 mmHg), and with older person (from 125/68 to 176/101 mmHg) having a prominent rise in diastolic values during the cooling. The neck pulse wave amplitude AOP rise was modest with the younger person and had variation with the older person. Older person had also more intensive shivering compared to younger one. With the older person, the limbs stayed cold in thermal images when returning from cold to thermoneutral area. The present preliminary observations indicated clear age-related differences in the circulatory response to a mild whole-body thermal challenge.