A modulated physiological sensor 200 is responsive to a physiological reaction of a living being 10 to an internal or external perturbation (30, 40 figure 1) caused by physiological processes (e.g. movement caused by breathing) that propagates to the skin 12 of the person 10. The modulated physiological sensor 200 comprises a detector 220 to couple 210 to the surface area 12 of the living being 10 so as to generate a signal (122, figure 1) responsive to a physiological reaction of the living being 10 to a perturbation (30, 40 figure 1), and a modulator 230 for varying the coupling 210 of the detector 220 and the surface 12. This at least intermittently maximizes the detector signal 222. The modulator 240 may be a vibration element. The modulated physiological sensor 200 may further comprise a monitor (20 figure 1) that controls the modulator 230 and receives the detector signal 222 so as to calculate a physiological parameter indicative of a physiological state of the living being 10. A substrate (430 figure 4) may mount the detector and modulator.
