A mental arithmetic task to link stress responses with brain blood vessel health in midlife adults

This study examines cardiovascular responses to a brief psychological challenge under laboratory conditions among adult volunteers. The study volunteers are asked to complete two study sessions. In one session, the volunteers are asked to provide demographic and health-related information via questionnaires and an interview. In that session, volunteers would then be asked to undergo evaluations of their body composition, blood pressure, heart rate, and other signs of cardiovascular function and health. Lastly, volunteers would be asked to take part in a brief and challenging psychological task after a period of rest while cardiovascular activity is measured. In the other session, volunteers are asked to undergo magnetic resonance imaging and to complete neuropsychological tests of memory, attention, and processing speed. In addition to these two sessions, volunteers are asked to complete online questionnaires. The study is designed to examine associations between transient changes in cardiovascular activity induced by the psychological task, measures of overall cardiovascular health, and measures of cerebrovascular health measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Study results are expected to provide new information about the relationships between cardiovascular activity changes to psychological challenges and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health in adults.