Table 2.

RMS-processed SSNA metrics during each stressor

		Handgrip	Cold pressor	Mental arithmetic	Stroop test
Burst frequency (bursts/min)	Baseline	10.6 ± 9.3	12.1 ± 11.3	11.5 ± 10.1	10.8 ± 8.8
	First half of stressor	16.3 ± 11.7	17.1 ± 13.0	14.8 ± 12.5	12.6 ± 10.6
	Second half of stressor	20.9 ± 15.2*	9.2 ± 10.1	14.7 ± 14.5	12.0 ± 12.9
	Recovery	8.9 ± 8.1	10.0 ± 9.4	11.2 ± 12.2	10.3 ± 10.3
Burst incidence (bursts/100 heart beats)	Baseline	14.0 ± 11.3	15.7 ± 14.6	14.5 ± 9.9	14.2 ± 11.4
	First half of stressor	19.6 ± 13.1	19.3 ± 14.5	18.1 ± 15.2	16.8 ± 13.2
	Second half of stressor	22.7 ± 13.7	11.6 ± 13.6	18.2 ± 17.8	15.7 ± 15.9
	Recovery	11.9 ± 10.2	13.1 ± 11.6	13.8 ± 13.6	14.3 ± 14.3
Cumulative burst amplitude (µV)	Baseline	4.9 ± 5.1	6.0 ± 7.6	4.7 ± 4.5	5.1 ± 5.6
	First half of stressor	8.1 ± 7.2	8.6 ± 8.3	6.8 ± 6.4	6.2 ± 7.0
	Second half of stressor	10.4 ± 8.4**	5.1 ± 7.8	6.1 ± 6.7	5.8 ± 8.3
	Recovery	4.7 ± 5.3	4.4 ± 4.6	4.9 ± 5.4	4.8 ± 7.1

The standard metrics for SSNA—burst frequency (taken as bursts per minute), burst incidence (taken as bursts per 100 heart beats) and cumulative burst amplitude—are displayed during a time period before, during the first half, during the second half and after each stressor. Time points which were found to be significantly different from the baseline during each stressor are denoted with an asterisk (*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01). Data are presented as mean ± SD