Assessing somatosensory pro fi les and autonomic nervous system responses in physical exercise studies

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to summarize methods for assessing effects of physical exercise on somatosensory and autonomic nervous system responses. The focus will be laid on extended methods for evaluating thermal and pain processing (–Quantitative Sensory Testing—; QST), which may be modulated by exercise. Additionally, methods for measuring blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and skin conductance (SC) in the MRI scanner will be reviewed, as the autonomic nervous system is involved in both exercise and pain. Implementing these methods in the context of human neuroimaging experiments has important implications for the conduction, analysis, and interpretation of exercise studies.