Functional stochastic resonance in the human brain: noise induced sensitization of baroreflex system.

We demonstrate experimentally that noise can enhance the homeostatic function in the human blood pressure regulatory system. The results show that the compensatory heart rate response to the weak periodic signal introduced at the venous blood pressure receptor is optimized by adding noise to the arterial blood pressure receptor. We conclude that this functional stochastic resonance most likely results from the interaction of noise with signal in the brain stem, where the neuronal inputs from these two different receptors first join together.