Cardiovascular responses to cold pressor test: a test for autonomic functions.

Circulatory dynamics during the cold pressor test, done by immersing the hand in water at 5 degrees C for one minute, were studied in 30 male healthy volunteers. All the subjects responded to the test with statistically significant increase in blood pressure (22.04%, p less than 0.001), heart rate (11.21%, p less than 0.001), galvanic skin resistance (36.17%, p less than 0.001) and decrease in forearm blood flow (40.85%, P less than 0.001). The measurement of cardiovascular responses following cold pressor test constitutes another test which can be used to test the efficiency of the autonomic nervous system in various autonomic neuropathies.