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Moazzami K, Kulshreshtha A, Gold M, Rahbar A, Goldstein F, Shah AJ, Bremner JD, Vaccarino V, Quyyumi AA. Hemodynamic Reactivity to Mental Stress and Cognitive Function in Coronary Artery Disease. Psychosom Med 2024; 86:498-506. [PMID: 38648028 PMCID: PMC11270642 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE People with coronary artery disease (CAD) are at higher risk of cognitive impairment than those without CAD. Psychological stress is a risk factor for both conditions, and assessing the hemodynamic reactivity to mental stress could explain the link between stress and cognitive function. METHODS A total of 779 individuals with stable CAD from two prospective cohort studies were included. All individuals underwent acute mental stress testing, as well as conventional stress testing. Cognitive function was assessed both at baseline and at a 2-year follow-up. The rate-pressure product (RPP) was calculated as the mean systolic blood pressure times the mean heart rate at rest. RPP reactivity was defined as the maximum RPP during standardized mental stress test minus the RPP at rest. RESULTS After multivariable adjustment, every standard deviation decrease in RPP reactivity with mental stress was associated with slower completion of Trail-A and Trail-B in both cohorts (13% and 11% in cohort 1, and 15% and 16% in cohort 2, respectively; p for all <.01). After a 2-year follow-up period, every standard deviation decrease in RPP reactivity with mental stress was associated with a 8% and 9% slower completion of Trail-A and Trail-B, respectively ( p for all <.01). There was no significant association between RPP reactivity with conventional stress testing and any of the cognitive tests. CONCLUSION In the CAD population, a blunted hemodynamic response to mental stress is associated with slower visuomotor processing and worse executive function at baseline and with greater decline in these abilities over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasra Moazzami
- From the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (Moazzami, Gold, Rahbar, Quyyumi), Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute; Grady Health System (Moazzami); Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health (Kulshreshtha, Shah, Vaccarino), Emory University; Departments of Family and Preventive Medicine (Kulshreshtha) and Neurology (Goldstein), and Goizuetta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Goldstein), Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta; Atlanta VA Medical Center (Shah, Bremner), Decatur; Departments of Radiology and Imaging Sciences (Bremner) and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Bremner), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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Sözer ÖT, Dereboy Ç, İzgialp İ. How is variability in physiological responses to social stress related to punishment and reward sensitivities? Preliminary findings from the revised reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality perspective. ANXIETY, STRESS, AND COPING 2023:1-18. [PMID: 38053395 DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2023.2290667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although personality traits are assumed to have biological/physiological foundations, research has yielded mixed evidence regarding the relationship between personality and physiological stress responses. Moreover, the field has often overlooked the contemporary neuroscience-based personality approach, known as the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) of Personality, in stress research. METHOD The present study examined the relationship between the revised RST's personality dimensions and heart rate and skin conductance level (SCL) in response to the Trier Social Stress Test in a sample of 61 healthy university students. RESULTS Piecewise latent growth curve analysis controlling for the participants' current life stress, smoking use, and caffeine intake revealed that individuals with higher behavioral inhibition exhibited higher physiological reactivity, whereas those with high reward sensitivity showed smaller heart rate reactivity. The behavioral disengagement facet of the behavioral inhibition scale was associated with reduced sympathetic arousal during the stress task. Additionally, reward interest was associated with a larger recovery of SCL. CONCLUSION Results were generally in line with the revised theory. The study findings were discussed within the paradigm of the approach-avoidance conflict and highlighted the importance of reward sensitivity in stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ömer Taha Sözer
- Department of Psychology, Yüzüncü Yıl University, Van, Türkiye
| | - Çiğdem Dereboy
- Department of Mental Health and Diseases, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Türkiye
| | - İpek İzgialp
- Doctoral Candidate, Department of Psychology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Türkiye
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Moazzami K, Cheung B, Sullivan S, Shah A, Almuwaqqat Z, Alkhoder A, Mehta PK, Pearce BD, Shah AJ, Martini A, Obideen M, Nye J, Bremner JD, Vaccarino V, Quyyumi AA. Hemodynamic Reactivity to Mental Stress in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2338060. [PMID: 37847500 PMCID: PMC10582791 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.38060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance The clinical significance of hemodynamic reactivity to mental stress in the population with coronary artery disease (CAD) is unclear. Objective To investigate the association between hemodynamic reactivity to mental stress and the risk of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with stable CAD. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study included individuals with stable CAD from 2 prospective studies from a university-based hospital network: the Mental Stress Ischemia Prognosis Study (MIPS) and the Myocardial Infarction and Mental Stress Study 2 (MIMS2). Participants were enrolled between June 2011 and March 2016 and followed up for a median of 6.0 (IQR, 5.6-6.0) years in MIPS and 4.6 (IQR, 3.8-5.3) years in MIMS2. Data were analyzed from December 1, 2022, to February 15, 2023. Exposures The rate-pressure product (RPP) was calculated as the mean systolic blood pressure times the mean heart rate at rest. Rate-pressure product reactivity was calculated as the maximum RPP during a standardized mental stress test minus the RPP at rest. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death or nonfatal myocardial infarction. The secondary end point additionally included hospitalizations for heart failure. Results From the total of 938 individuals from the pooled cohort (mean [SD] age, 60.2 [10.1] years; 611 [65.1%] men), 631 participated in MIPS and 307 in MIMS2. A total of 373 individuals (39.8%) were Black, 519 (55.3%) were White, and 46 (4.9%) were of unknown race or ethnicity. The RPP increased by a mean (SD) of 77.1% (23.1%) during mental stress (mean [SD] absolute change, 5651 [2878]). For every SD decrease in RPP reactivity with mental stress, the adjusted hazard ratios for the primary and secondary end points were 1.30 (95% CI, 1.04-1.72) and 1.30 (95% CI, 1.06-1.56), respectively, in MIPS and 1.41 (95% CI, 1.06-1.97) and 1.21 (95% CI, 1.02-1.60), respectively, in MIMS2. In the pooled sample, when RPP reactivity to mental stress was added to a model including traditional clinical risk characteristics, model discrimination for adverse events improved (increase in C statistic of 5% for the primary end point; P = .009). Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of individuals with stable CAD, a blunted cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress was associated with adverse outcomes. Future studies are needed to assess the clinical utility of mental stress reactivity testing in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasra Moazzami
- Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Grady Health System, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Brian Cheung
- Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Samaah Sullivan
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Anish Shah
- Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Zakaria Almuwaqqat
- Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ayman Alkhoder
- Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Puja K. Mehta
- Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Brad D. Pearce
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Amit J. Shah
- Grady Health System, Atlanta, Georgia
- Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia
| | - Afif Martini
- Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Malik Obideen
- Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jonathon Nye
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - J. Douglas Bremner
- Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Arshed A. Quyyumi
- Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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Executive functioning as a predictor of physiological and subjective acute stress responses in non-clinical adult populations: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1096-1115. [PMID: 34562543 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate whether executive functioning predicts subsequent acute stress responses. A systematic search (conducted between May 22nd and 30th, 2019; updated on April 4th, 2020) on Cochrane, OpenGray, Proquest Dissertations and Thesis Global, PsycInfo, Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science revealed 27 correlational and five interventional studies. For quality appraisal, we used the BIOCROSS Tool, the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies, and the Revised Cochrane Risk-of-bias Tool for Randomized Trials. Attentional control was most consistently associated with acute stress. A robust variation estimation meta-analysis, conducted when sufficient data was available, revealed a small, significant, and negative correlation between higher working memory and subsequent lower cortisol reactivity (r = .09, p = .025, 95 % CI [0.15, 0.02]). These results highlight the role of executive functioning for acute stress responses, the scarcity of relevant data, and the need for both interventional designs and the consideration of mediators and moderators to understand underlying mechanisms.
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López-López A, Matías-Pompa B, Fernández-Carnero J, Gil-Martínez A, Alonso-Fernández M, Alonso Pérez JL, González Gutierrez JL. Blunted Pain Modulation Response to Induced Stress in Women with Fibromyalgia with and without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Comorbidity: New Evidence of Hypo-Reactivity to Stress in Fibromyalgia? Behav Med 2021; 47:311-323. [PMID: 32356678 DOI: 10.1080/08964289.2020.1758611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
There is evidence regarding the presence of alterations in both the stress response and the endogenous pain modulation systems of people with fibromyalgia (FM). However, research on pain modulation under induced stress on FM patients is scarce and contradictory. The present study analyzes stress-induced changes in pain and intolerance thresholds among FM patients, examining the possible existence of differences linked to PTSD comorbidity and gaining insights into the role of cardiovascular reactivity. Eighteen women diagnosed with FM and comorbid PTSD (FM + PTSD), 18 women diagnosed with FM and no PTSD (FM-PTSD), and 38 healthy women (HC) were exposed to the Social Stress Test task. Pressure pain thresholds and intolerance thresholds were measured before and during stress induction, and after a recovery period, while systolic blood pressure and heart rate were simultaneously recorded. Overall, while pain thresholds decreased during stress and recovery for HC, no significant changes were observed for women with FM. The intolerance threshold decreased for HC during stress, but was maintained at basal level during recovery. FM-PTSD women exhibited a delayed response, with a drop at recovery. For FM + PTSD, tolerance levels remained unchanged. In addition, cardiovascular reactivity did not seem to explain these results. This performance of the pain modulation system seems to follow the same pattern of hypoactive responsiveness under stressors that has previously been observed in FM patients on the autonomic and neuroendocrine axes. Such a hypoactive pattern may involve a non-adaptive response that may contribute to the development and maintenance of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- A López-López
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Psychology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, King Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - B Matías-Pompa
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Psychology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, King Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Fernández-Carnero
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, King Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Gil-Martínez
- Department of Physical Therapy, Center of Higher Education Studies La Salle, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - M Alonso-Fernández
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Psychology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, King Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - J L Alonso Pérez
- Department of Physical Therapy, European University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - J L González Gutierrez
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Psychology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, King Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
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Cardiovascular Reactivity to Acute Mental Stress: THE IMPORTANCE OF TYPE D PERSONALITY, TRAIT ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS AFTER ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROMES. J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev 2020; 39:E12-E18. [PMID: 31688512 DOI: 10.1097/hcr.0000000000000457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Links between psychophysiological reactions to stress stimuli and perceived mental distress, including type D personality, anxiety, and depression, are still under debate. The aim of this study was to examine associations between cardiovascular reactivity to social stress and mental distress in patients after acute coronary syndrome. METHODS Patients (n = 116, 86% males, 52 ± 8 yr) with coronary artery disease 2 wk after acute coronary syndrome were evaluated for sociodemographic, clinical characteristics and coronary artery disease risk factors. The Trier Social Stress Test was employed to measure cardiovascular reactions to social stress (systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate). Mental distress assessment included type D personality (Type D Scale), anxiety and depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and state and trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). RESULTS Multiple linear regression analysis showed associations between type D personality and lower heart rate during Trier Social Stress Test periods of task instruction (β = -.196, P < .04), preparation time (β = -.232, P < .01), and recovery time (β = -.209, P < .029). Higher trait anxiety was linked with lower heart rate during baseline rest (β = -.287, P < .01), task instruction (β = -.286, P < .01), preparation time (β = -.241, P < .01), and recovery period (β = -.209, P < .05). Depressive symptoms were associated with higher systolic blood pressure during baseline rest (β =.187, P < .05), task instruction (β = .306 P < .01), and free speech (β = .264, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Mental distress was associated with cardiovascular stress reactions independent from possible covariates, suggesting dysregulated psychophysiological reactions to acute stress.
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Cross A, Naughton F, Sheffield D. What is the role of stress cardiovascular reactivity in health behaviour change? A systematic review, meta-analysis and research agenda. Psychol Health 2020; 36:1021-1040. [PMID: 32998581 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2020.1825714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The stress reactivity hypothesis posits that the extremes of exaggerated and low or blunted cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) to stress may lead to adverse health outcomes via psychophysiological pathways. A potential indirect pathway between CVR and disease outcomes is through health-related behaviour and behaviour change. However, this is a less well understood pathway. Design: A registered systematic review was undertaken to determine the association between cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) and health behaviour change, as well as identify mediators and moderators. Eight papers that met the inclusion criteria, focused on smoking cessation and weight loss, were identified. Results: Pooling data from studies exploring the prospective relationship between CVR (as systolic blood pressure) and smoking cessation found that exaggerated CVR was associated with smoking relapse (Hedges' g = 0.39, SE = 0.00, 95% CI 0.38 - 0.40, p < .001; I2 = 0%; N = 257) but did not find evidence that CVR responses were associated with changes in weight. In order to advance our understanding of reactivity as a modifiable determinant of health behaviour change, our review recommends exploring the association between CVR and other health behaviours, to determine the influence of blunted reactivity versus low motivational effort identify mediators and moderators and determine the focus of interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainslea Cross
- School of Psychology, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - Felix Naughton
- School of Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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O’Súilleabháin PS, Howard S, Hughes BM. Openness to experience and stress responsivity: An examination of cardiovascular and underlying hemodynamic trajectories within an acute stress exposure. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199221. [PMID: 29912932 PMCID: PMC6005471 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The personality trait openness to experience has been implicated in health, and in particular cardiovascular wellbeing. In a sample of 62 healthy young female adults, the role of openness in cardiovascular responsivity during a stress exposure was examined. Traditionally, methodologies have averaged a stress exposure into a single reading. This may be limited in that it does not consider patterns of cardiovascular adaptation within a stress exposure. Continuous cardiovascular data were reduced to mean 10 second readings, with phases determined through examinations of shifts in responsivity between each 10 second pairing. Analyses revealed a significant linear interaction for openness across the entire exposure for systolic blood pressure, and cardiac output. A significant between-subjects effect for heart rate also emerged. Contrary to their lower counterparts, those highest in openness exhibited an increasingly myocardial hemodynamic response profile throughout the exposure. Comparisons of responsivity suggests adaptive stress response trajectories for those highest in openness. This study also provides evidence that an attenuation of myocardial responsivity may underpin blunted responsivity. This study provides a potential mechanism in reported openness-health associations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Siobhán Howard
- Department of Psychology, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Brian M. Hughes
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
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Szymańska A, Dobrenko KA. The ways parents cope with stress in difficult parenting situations: the structural equation modeling approach. PeerJ 2017. [PMID: 28626606 PMCID: PMC5470577 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to verify a theoretical model of parents’ responses to difficulties they experienced with their child. The model presents relationships between seven variables: (a) discrepancy between parental goal and the child’s current level of development, (b) parental experience of a difficulty, (c) representation of the child in the parent’s mind, (d) parent’s withdrawal from the parenting situation, (e) seeking help, (f) distancing oneself from the situation, and (g) applying pressure on the child. The study involved 319 parents of preschool children: 66 parents of three-year-olds, 85 parents of four-year-olds, 99 parents of five-year-olds and 69 parents of six-year-old children. Structural equations modeling (SEM) was used to verify the compounds described in the theoretical model. The studies revealed that when a parent is experiencing difficulties, the probability increases that the parent will have one of two reactions towards that type of stress: withdrawal from the situation or applying pressure on the child. Experiencing difficulties has no connection with searching for help and is negatively related to distancing oneself from the situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Szymańska
- Institute of Psychology, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Poland
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Exploring the possible mechanisms of blunted cardiac reactivity to acute psychological stress. Int J Psychophysiol 2017; 113:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Abstract
While evidence suggests that women exhibit psychophysiological differences in stress reactivity across the menstrual cycle, the relationships among psychological and physiological stress reactivity states are not well understood. Healthy, normally cycling women (N = 44) participated in two counterbalanced laboratory sessions during the follicular and luteal phases where heart rate and subjective stress were assessed in response to stressors. There were no differences in the magnitudes of psychophysiological stress responses across the cycle. Psychological and physiological states were largely unrelated in the follicular phase but interrelationships were found in the luteal phase and these relationships were influenced by autonomic perception and trait anxiety. For women with high trait anxiety, autonomic perception appeared to buffer psychological and physiological stress reactivity during the luteal phase, suggesting that autonomic perception may be a protective factor for more anxious women during times of acute stress.
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Pilgrim K, Ellenbogen MA, Paquin K. The impact of attentional training on the salivary cortisol and alpha amylase response to psychosocial stress: importance of attentional control. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 44:88-99. [PMID: 24767623 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2013] [Revised: 01/04/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study examined the effects of three consecutive days of attentional training on the salivary alpha amylase (sAA), cortisol, and mood response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The training was designed to elicit faster disengagement of attention away from threatening facial expressions and faster shifts of attention toward positive ones. METHOD Fifty-six healthy participants between the ages of 18 and 30 participated in a double-blind, within-subject experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three attentional training conditions - supraliminal training: pictures shown with full conscious awareness, masked training: stimuli presented with limited conscious awareness, or control training: both supraliminal and masked pictures shown but no shifting of attention required. Following training, participants underwent the TSST. Self-reported mood and saliva samples were collected for the determination of emotional reactivity, cortisol, and sAA in response to stress post-training. RESULTS Unexpectedly, participants in both attentional training groups exhibited a higher salivary cortisol response to the TSST relative to participants who underwent the control training, F (4, 86)=4.07, p=.005, ηp(2)=.16. Supraliminal training was also associated with enhanced sAA reactivity, F (2, 44)=13.90, p=.000, ηp(2)=.38, and a more hostile mood response (p=.021), to the TSST. Interestingly, the effect of attention training on the cortisol response to stress was more robust in those with high attentional control than those with low attentional control (β=-0.134; t=-2.24, p=.03). CONCLUSION This is among the first experimental manipulations to demonstrate that attentional training can elicit a paradoxical increase in three different markers of stress reactivity. These findings suggest that attentional training, in certain individuals, can have iatrogenic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamala Pilgrim
- Centre for Research in Human Development, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mark A Ellenbogen
- Centre for Research in Human Development, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Karine Paquin
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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The other side of the coin: Blunted cardiovascular and cortisol reactivity are associated with negative health outcomes. Int J Psychophysiol 2013; 90:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2013.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2012] [Revised: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Ellenbogen MA. Introduction to the special section on biopsychosocial moderators of the stress response. ANXIETY, STRESS, AND COPING 2012; 25:359-64. [PMID: 22646814 DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2012.691621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Ellenbogen
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Research in Human Development, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada.
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