The researchers Maria Guarino and Rui Fonseca-Pinto are coauthors of the paper “Blood Pressure Regulation by the Carotid Sinus Nerve: Clinical Implications for Carotid Body Neuromodulation”, which results from a collaboration with Silvia Vilares Conde from NOVA Medical School – Faculdade de Ciências Médicas and Mario Romero-Ortega from University of Houston in a project supported by GSK Bioelectronics and Galvani Bioelectronics.

 

This project, led by Silvia Conde looks at the effects of acute high frequency stimulation of the carotid sinus nerve on blood pressure. The results show that functional ablation of the CSN, either surgically or through electrical neuromodulation, does not significantly influence blood pressure modulation by hypoxic/ischemic challenges despite a decreased sympathetic tone induced by loss of CSN function.

 

The results support the hypothesis that clinical use of neuromodulation to modulate CSN activity in metabolic diseases does not cause blood pressure fluctuations.