Effects of acoustic stimulation on heart rate and peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) during sleep

In order to better the dynamics of the arousal response during sleep, in the present study we compared the cardiac and vasomotor response induced by multiple acoustic stimulation during daytime sleep. To this aim, we used a recently developed technique that allows for the non-invasive long-term monitoring of peripheral arterial tone(PAT). Our results suggest that the vasomotor system shows a more profound and sustained response to arousal than the cardiac system.