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OCKscienceillustrated.com.au | 17New research indicates that an unexpected situation in traffic becomes more dangerous if it happens
at the same time as a motorist’s heartbeat. As the heart beats, our ability to react is slowed.MEDICINE Motorists suffer a greater
risk of crashing if a surprise situation
develops at the precise time of their
heartbeat, according to new results from
the University of Sussex in England. The
scientists made test subjects
drive in virtual traffic
while their heartbeat was
measured. The appearance
of sudden obstacles was
timed to coincide either
with the heartbeat of the
test subjects or between two heartbeats.
Their ability to react proved to be so poor
during a heartbeat that the test subjects
often crashed.
The heartbeat takes place as the
heart contracts – a phase known as
systole. When this happens, it seems toaffect several of our brain functions.
Experiments previously made by the
same scientists showed that our pain
perception is reduced during systole,
and we are worse at remembering words
given to us at the exact
moment the heart beats.
The scientists are unsure
of the cause, but the main
suspects are baroreceptors
on the major blood vessels.
The receptors are activated
during systole, sending a message about
our blood pressure to the brain, and this
seems to interrupt other signals.
The new results suggest that it is not
wise to drive immediately after exercising
or when excited, as a high pulse rate will
deliver more unreactive periods.THE HEARTBEAT, also
known as the systole,
contracts the heart muscle
60 times per minute, the
normal resting heart rate.One heartbeat away from an accident
per minute is how quickly we write on our
phones using two thumbs, according to a
new international study in which more than
37,000 people participated to deliver this
average figure. It is only 25% slower than
the average speed of keyboard writing.38 words
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