Hostility as a moderator of physical reactivity and recovery to stress

This experiment was designed to assess differences in physiological reactivity and recovery to stress among low- and high-hostile men. Specifically, 25 low- and 25 high-hostile undergraduates were identified using the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (Cook & Medley, 1954). To ensure homogeneity, all subjects were right-handed and had a general right hemibody preference, as indicated by a score of +7 or higher on the Coren, Porac, and Duncan Laterality Test (Corer, Porac, & Duncan, 1979). All subjects underwent a traditional cold-pressor stressor test. Physiological measures--heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure--were recorded before the stressor (Prestress), after the stressor (Poststress), and then again 9 min later (Recovery). Increased physiological arousal between pre- and poststress measurements was used as an indicator of reactivity. Subsequent decreases in physiological arousal were used as recover measures. Given the current models of negative emotion and hostility, it was expected that high-hostiles, relative to low-hostiles, would evidence increased physiological arousal and decreased recovery to stress. Interestingly, high-hostiles experienced significantly greater reactivity to stress in heart rate only, and no group differences were found with regard to recovery. Results are discussed in terms of previous research and current models of emotion.     

An extension of the functional cerebral systems approach to hostility: a capacity model utilizing a dual concurrent task paradigm

Regulatory control of emotions and expressive fluency (verbal or design) have historically been associated with the frontal lobes. Moreover, research has demonstrated the importance of cerebral laterality with a prominent role of the right frontal regions in the regulation of negative affect (anger, hostility) and in the fluent production of designs rather than verbal fluency. In the present research, participants identified with high and with low levels of hostility were evaluated on a design fluency test twice in one experimental session. Before the second administration of the fluency test, each participant underwent physiological (cold pressor) stress. It was hypothesized that diminished right frontal capacity in high-hostile men would be evident through lowered performance on this cognitive stressor. Convergent validity of the capacity model was supported wherein high-hostile men evidenced reduced delta magnitude over the right frontal region after exposure to the physiological stressor but failed to maintain consistent levels of right cerebral activation across conditions. The results suggest an inability for high-hostile men to maintain stable levels of cerebral activation after exposure to physiological and cognitive stress. Moreover, low-hostiles showed enhanced cognitive performance on the design task with lower levels of arousal (heightened delta magnitude). In contrast, reduced arousal yielded increased executive deficits in high-hostiles as evidenced through increased perseverative errors on the design fluency task.     

Dynamic lateralization: hostility, cardiovascular regulation, and tachistoscopic recognition

This experiment tested a hypothesis linking the right cerebral regulation of hostility and cardiovascular arousal. It also replicates related research regarding hostility, cardiovascular regulation, and auditory recognition (Shenal Harrison, 2003) through the visual modality. Thirty low- and high-hostile participants (n = 30) were identified using the Cook Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS). Only right-handed male participants with no significant medical or psychological history completed the experiment. All participants completed the cold pressor paradigm. Cardiovascular measures (systolic blood pressure [SBP] and diastolic blood pressure [DBP]) were recorded and tachistoscopic lexical recognition procedures were administered before and after the physical stressor. The primary finding of this research was greater left cerebral activation (decreased cardiovascular reactivity) following the tachistoscopic lexical recognition tasks and greater right cerebral activation following the painful (cold pressor) stressor.     

Investigation of the laterality of hostility,cardiovascular regulation,and auditory recognition

This experiment tested a hypothesis linking the right cerebral regulation of hostility and cardiovascular arousal. First, replication of previous research supporting heightened cardiovascular (systolic blood pressure [SBP] and diastolic blood pressure [DBP]) reactivity among high hostile participants was partially successful. Second, dynamic variations in functional cerebral asymmetry in response to emotional linguistic processing was measured. Thirty low- and high-hostile, undergraduate volunteer participants (n = 30) were identified using the Cook Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS). Only healthy, right-handed male participants completed the experiment. All participants completed the negative affective auditory verbal learning test (AAVLT). Cardiovascular measures (SBP and DBP) were recorded and dichotic listening procedures were administered before and after the cognitive affective stressor. The results support greater left cerebral activation among both groups following the dichotic phoneme listening tasks and greater right cerebral activation among both groups following an emotional linguistic (affective verbal learning) cognitive stressor.     

INVESTIGATION OF THE LATERALITY OF HOSTILITY,CARDIOVASCULAR REGULATION,AND AUDITORY RECOGNITION

This experiment tested a hypothesis linking the right cerebral regulation of hostility and cardiovascular arousal. First, replication of previous research supporting heightened cardiovascular (systolic blood pressure [SBP] and diastolic blood pressure [DBP]) reactivity among high hostile participants was partially successful. Second, dynamic variations in functional cerebral asymmetry in response to emotional linguistic processing was measured. Thirty low- and high-hostile, undergraduate volunteer participants (n = 30) were identified using the Cook Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS). Only healthy, right-handed male participants completed the experiment. All participants completed the negative affective auditory verbal learning test (AAVLT). Cardiovascular measures (SBP and DBP) were recorded and dichotic listening procedures were administered before and after the cognitive affective stressor. The results support greater left cerebral activation among both groups following the dichotic phoneme listening tasks and greater right cerebral activation among both groups following an emotional linguistic (affective verbal learning) cognitive stressor.     

DYNAMIC LATERALIZATION: HOSTILITY,CARDIOVASCULAR REGULATION,AND TACHISTOSCOPIC RECOGNITION

This experiment tested a hypothesis linking the right cerebral regulation of hostility and cardiovascular arousal. It also replicates related research regarding hostility, cardiovascular regulation, and auditory recognition (Shenal and Harrison, 2003) through the visual modality. Thirty low- and high-hostile participants (n = 30) were identified using the Cook Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS). Only right-handed male participants with no significant medical or psychological history completed the experiment. All participants completed the cold pressor paradigm. Cardiovascular measures (systolic blood pressure [SBP] and diastolic blood pressure [DBP]) were recorded and tachistoscopic lexical recognition procedures were administered before and after the physical stressor.The primary finding of this research was greater left cerebral activation (decreased cardiovascular reactivity) following the tachistoscopic lexical recognition tasks and greater right cerebral activation following the painful (cold pressor) stressor     

The mediating effects of psychophysiological reactivity and recovery on the relationship between environmental stress and illness

The present study investigated the association between psychophysiological reactivity and recovery and physical and psychological symptoms both directly and interactively with environmental stress. Symptoms, environmental stress, and psychophysiological reactivity to and recovery from a laboratory stressor were measured in 50 subjects. As in previous research, the results indicated a significant relationship between environmental stress and symptoms of illness. Although the data did not support a direct relationship between psychophysiological activity and illness, support for a buffering effect was found. Those individuals with greater physiological arousal to or slower recovery from a laboratory stressor exhibited a stronger relationship between environmental stress and symptoms than those who were less reactive or faster to recover. Implications of these results were discussed in the context of theoretical models relating stress and illness.     

Imipramine and alprazolam effects on stress test reactivity in panic disorder.

The reactivity of 40 panic disorder patients on mental arithmetic, cold pressor, and 5% CO2 inhalation stressors was tested before and after 8 weeks of treatment with imipramine, alprazolam, or placebo. Mean levels of subjective and physiological stress measures were compared during a baseline before any stressors were given, and at anticipation, stressor, and recovery periods for each stressor. After treatment, imipramine patients differed from the other two treatment groups on the prestressor baseline in showing higher systolic blood pressure (mean difference about 10 mmHg), higher diastolic blood pressure (10 mm Hg), higher heart rate (15 bpm), less respiratory sinus arrhythmia, shorter pulse transit time, and lower T-wave amplitude. Respiratory measures, electrodermal measures, body movement, and self-reported anxiety and excitement did not distinguish the groups. Reactivity to the stress tests was unaffected by the medications, but tonic differences present in the baseline persisted.     

Psychophysiological assessment of stress reactivity and recovery in anxiety disorders

The present study aimed to examine changes in psychophysiological arousal from baseline to a stressor phase (reactivity) and from the stressor phase to a second resting phase (recovery) in patients with anxiety disorders. Fifty adult patients with DSM-5 anxiety disorders (panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or social anxiety disorder) and 28 healthy control (HC) participants underwent psychophysiological monitoring including electrocardiogram, respiration rate, electrodermal activity, gastrocnemius electromyograph, and end-tidal CO₂ for a 3-min resting phase, a 6-min mild stressor phase, and a 3-min recovery phase. Anxious patients then went on to receive naturalistic cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in a specialty outpatient clinic. Results for the reactivity phase indicated that compared to HCs, patients with social anxiety disorder exhibited heightened psychophysiological reactivity while patients with panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder exhibited attenuated reactivity. Results for physiological recovery (return to baseline after the stressor was withdrawn) were mixed, but provided some support for slower autonomic recovery in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder compared to HCs. Participants with all anxiety disorders exhibited diminished change in high frequency heart rate variability compared to HCs. Generally, psychophysiological reactivity and recovery were not associated with CBT outcome, though exploratory analyses indicated that greater respiration rate reactivity and stronger respiration rate recovery were associated with better CBT outcomes in patients with panic disorder.     

Type A behavior, heart rate and pupillary response: effects of cold pressor and ego threat

The present study tested the hypothesis that Type A individuals would respond to a relevant stressor (ego-threat), but not an irrelevant one (cold pressor), with higher heart rate (HR) and larger pupil size than Type B's. These measures of physiological arousal were taken during baseline and during exposure to each of two sequentially presented, but counterbalanced stress conditions: ego threat and cold pressor. The physiological measures of sympathetic arousal were supplemented with repeated measures of self-reported anxiety. Three distinct findings emerged. First, Type A subjects had higher levels of HR in response to ego threat, but lower levels in response to cold pressor stress, compared to non-stressed baseline levels. Type B's on the other hand had slight, but nondifferential increased HR to the two different stress regimens. Second, the pupillary response to light did not produce results wholly parallel to those obtained with HR, or with the hypothesis that A's are more physiologically responsive than B's. Finally the Type A subjects in all conditions reported less anxiety than did Type B's. The present results generally indicate that A/B differences in cardiovascular arousal do not generalize readily across situations or to all autonomic indices.     

Autonomic reactivity and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis dysregulation in spouses of Oklahoma City bombing survivors 7 years after the attack

ObjectiveThe objective of this exploratory pilot study was to examine autonomic reactivity and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis dysregulation in spouses of highly exposed survivors of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.MethodsThis study compared psychiatric diagnoses and biological stress markers (physiological reactivity and cortisol measures) in spouses of bombing survivors and matched community participants. Spouses were recruited through bombing survivors who participated in prior studies. Individuals with medical illnesses and those taking psychotropic medications that would confound biological stress measures were excluded. The final sample included 15 spouses and 15 community participants. The primary outcome measures were psychiatric diagnoses assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (DIS-IV). Biological stress markers were physiological reactivity and recovery in heart rate and blood pressure responses to a trauma interview and cortisol (morning, afternoon, and diurnal variation).ResultsCompared to the community participants, spouses evidenced greater reactivity in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure; delayed recovery in systolic blood pressure; and higher afternoon salivary cortisol.ConclusionsThe results support the need for further research in this area to clarify post-disaster effects on biological stress measures in the spouses of survivors and the potential significance of these effects and to address the needs of this important population which may be overlooked in recovery efforts.     

Psychosocial correlates of reactivity in black and white men

This study sought to clarify the relationship between cardiovascular reactivity, hostility, depression and ethnicity. Blood pressure and heart rate responses to a standard arithmetic stressor were analyzed in 97 unmedicated hypertensive and normotensive men. Hypertensives and normotensives showed similar increases from baseline on systolic and diastolic blood pressure and on heart rate. Among whites (N = 44), systolic and diastolic reactivity were related to lower scores on the Verbal subscale items of the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (p less than 0.05, for both). Among blacks (N = 53), no such relationship was found. Heart rate reactivity was related to greater depression scores among whites (p less than 0.01), but not among blacks. Among black subjects, heart rate increases were related to higher scores on the Indirect Anger subscale items of the Buss-Durkee (p less than 0.05). These results suggest that the expression of emotion and reactivity to a psychosocial stressor may be socioculturally mediated.     

The relation between emotion regulation strategies and physiological stress responses in middle childhood

The current study sought to examine whether children's spontaneous use of the emotion regulation strategies suppression and reappraisal during a psychosocial stress task was related to their cortisol and alpha-amylase responses to that task. Salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase responses to a psychosocial stress task were assessed in 158 10-year-old children (83 girls). The children completed a self-report questionnaire measuring use of reappraisal and suppression during the task. Results showed overall increases in cortisol and alpha-amylase in response to the stressor, with higher cortisol reactivity in girls than in boys. With regard to emotion regulation, more use of suppression was related to lower cortisol reactivity in girls, and lower alpha-amylase reactivity and quicker alpha-amylase recovery in all children. The use of reappraisal was not related to the children's cortisol or alpha-amylase responses. The current study is the first to investigate the relation between the spontaneous use of reappraisal and suppression, and physiological stress responses to a psychosocial stressor in children. Our results indicate that reappraisal and suppression are used and can be measured even in 10-year-olds. At this age reappraisal appears ineffective at down-regulating physiological responses, while suppression was related to lower physiological responses. For cortisol reactivity there was a sex difference in the relation with suppression, indicating the importance of including sex as a moderator variable in research studying stress reactivity and its correlates in this age group.     

Effects of social stressors on cardiovascular reactivity in black and white women

Background: Behavioral scientists have theorized that perceived racism in social interactions may account for some of the observed disparities in coronary heart disease between Black and White Americans.Purpose: The objective was to examine whether racial stress influences cardiovascular reactivity, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.Methods: We measured cardiovascular responses in Black and White women (n = 80) as they talked about 3 hypothetical scenarios: (a) being accused of shoplifting (racial stressor), (b) experiencing airport delays (nonracial stressor), and (c) giving a campus tour (control).Results: Relative to White women, Black women had significantly greater mean diastolic blood pressure reactivity (3.81 vs. 0.25 mmHg; p < .05) in response to the racial stressor than in response to the nonracial stressor. Black women exhibited significantly lower heart rate during recovery following the racial stressor than during recovery following the nonracial stressor (−0.37 beats/min vs. 0.86 beats/min; p < .001). Among Black women, those who explicitly made race attributions during the racial stressor had greater systolic but not diastolic blood pressure reactivity than those who did not make racial attributions (8.32 mmHg vs. 2.17 mmHg; p < .05).Conclusions: These findings suggest that perceived racism in social interactions may contribute to increased physiological stress for Black women. This work was supported by Grant CA91411 from the National Institutes of Health and a grant from the Professional Staff Congress of City University of New York. We are grateful for the excellent research assistance of Allyson Bunbury, Michael Gold, Mark Vegh, and Alex Libin. Teceta Thomas provided helpful comments on the article.     

The Effects of Poor Sleep on Cognitive, Affective, and Physiological Responses to a Laboratory Stressor

Background

Recent research suggests that poor sleep may be associated with altered stress regulation.

Purpose

This study aims to examine the associations between prior-night and prior-month sleep measures and affective, cognitive, and physiological responses to a laboratory stressor.

Methods

Ninety-eight (50 % female) young adults completed measures of sleep quality in the context of a laboratory stress study. Measures included positive (PA) and negative affects (NA) and blood pressure (BP) reactivity, as well as change in pre-sleep arousal.

Results

Prior-month poor sleep quality and sleep disturbances predicted dampened BP reactivity. Both prior-night and prior-month sleep quality predicted greater decrease in PA. Sleep-associated monitoring predicted NA reactivity and prolonged cognitive and affective activation. Prior-month sleep continuity predicted greater cognitive pre-sleep arousal change, and prior-month sleep quality, daytime dysfunction, and disturbances predicted prolonged cognitive and affective activation.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that inadequate sleep confers vulnerability to poor cognitive, affective, and physiological responses to stress.     

Physiological and metabolic responses to brief stress in non-insulin dependent diabetic and control subjects

Eight non-insulin dependent diabetic subjects and eight controls were studied during physical and psychological stress. Physiological measures of heart rate, finger pulse amplitude and blood pressure, as well as metabolic measures of blood glucose, insulin, catecholamines and glucagon were sampled during the experiment. Results indicate substantial physiological arousal during the tasks for both groups, but no changes in blood glucose. Despite signs of mild autonomic neuropathy, the diabetic subjects showed responses similar to the controls on the stress tasks. Overall, this study suggests that diabetic instability does not necessarily follow from physiological activity and stress hormone elevations.     

Brief Report: Emotional Processing in High-Functioning Autism—Physiological Reactivity and Affective Report

This study examined physiological response and affective report in 10 adult individuals with autism and 10 typically developing controls. An emotion induction paradigm using stimuli from the International Affective Picture System was applied. Blood pressure, heart and self-ratings of experienced valence (pleasure), arousal and dominance (control) were assessed during the experiment. Physiological response profiles correlated low to significantly negative between groups. Individuals with autism experienced less arousal when viewing sad pictures but higher arousal while processing neutral stimuli. In addition, they reported more control than the normative group when viewing fearful and sad stimuli. Findings indicate altered physiological reactivity and affective report in autism, which may be related to more general impairments in socio-emotional functioning.     

Physiological and subjective anxiety responses to caffeine and stress in nonclinical panic

Physiological and subjective anxiety responses to the combination of caffeine and film, cold pressor, and mental arithmetic stressors were examined in 24 healthy females with and without nonclinical panic. Caffeine (3.3 mg/kg) and placebo were administered in a within-subject, double-blind, counterbalanced design on two consecutive days. Repeated measurements of blood pressure, cardiac interbeat interval, skin conductance, and subjective anxiety were obtained during a predrug resting baseline, a postdrug resting baseline, stressor tasks, and a recovery baseline. Panic subjects in the caffeine/placebo drug order exhibited a significantly greater anxiety response on the caffeine day, which combined additively with increases produced by stress. Caffeine and stress also produced additive increases in physiological arousal, although no significant group differences were observed.     

Global link between heart rate and blood pressure oscillations at rest and during mental arousal in normotensive and hypertensive subjects

Complex phenomena modulate the interplay between heart rate and blood pressure variability, in particular after adjustments induced by stimuli or in pathophysiological conditions. This study sought to investigate in 25 hypertensive and 16 normotensive male subjects whether relationships operating at rest may be preserved after a central nervous system arousal induced by a mental stress test. As a secondary endpoint, we evaluated the potential changes of the components of heart rate and blood pressure variability during stress. RESULTS: A significant correlation was observed between components of RR and systolic blood pressure (SBP) variability (p<0.0001), after controlling for the subject's status (normotensive vs. hypertensive) and for stress-steps (baseline condition, during stress test and recovery). Moreover, the multiple regression model accounted for the potential effects of the baseline alpha(LF) value and for the baseline heart rate and systolic blood pressure. The relationship operating between the LF/HF(RR) ratio and LF/HF(SBP) ratio was not different either at the different steps of stress test (interaction: p=0.87) or in the two groups of normotensive and hypertensive subjects (interaction: p=0.76). The variables of RR and SBP variabilities were modified during stress and recovery. In particular, the LF/HF(RR) ratio and LF/HF(SBP) ratio increased during stress and decreased during recovery. CONCLUSIONS: The association between heart rate and blood pressure oscillations was preserved during central nervous system arousal by mental stress both in normotensives and hypertensives. A central integration may account for this constant relationship, the correlation being independent from baseline heart rate, blood pressure and baroreflex sensitivity.