Chronic Stress Induces a Hyporeactivity of the Autonomic Nervous System in Response to Acute Mental Stressor and Impairs Cognitive Performance in Business Executives

Abstract

The present study examined the incidence of chronic stress in business executives (109 subjects: 75 male and 34 female) and its relationship with cortisol levels, cognitive performance, and autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity after an acute mental stressor. Blood samples were collected from the subjects to measure cortisol concentration. After the sample collection, the subjects completed the Lipp Inventory of Stress Symptoms for Adults and the Stroop Color-Word Test to evaluate stress and cognitive performance levels, respectively. Saliva samples were collected prior to, immediately after, and five minutes after the test. The results revealed that 90.1% of the stressed subjects experienced stress phases that are considered chronic stress. At rest, the subjects with chronic stress showed higher cortisol levels, and no gender differences were observed. No differences were found between the stressed and non-stressed subjects regarding salivary amylase activity prior to test. Chronic stress also impaired performance on the Stroop test, which revealed higher rates of error and longer reaction times in the incongruent stimulus task independently of gender. For the congruent stimulus task of the Stroop test, the stressed males presented a higher rate of errors than the non-stressed males and a longer reaction time than the stressed females. After the acute mental stressor, the non-stressed male group showed an increase in salivary alpha-amylase activity, which returned to the initial values five minutes after the test; this ANS reactivity was not observed in the chronically stressed male subjects. The ANS responses of the non-stressed vs stressed female groups were not different prior to or after the Stroop test. This study is the first to demonstrate a blunted reactivity of the ANS when male subjects with chronic psychological stress were subjected to an acute mental stressor, and this change could contribute to impairments in cognitive performance.

Evaluation of occupational physical load during 6-month international crisis management operation

“…It was obvious that the increase in saAA was more affected by psychological distress than physical overload. Furthermore, conflicting results from previous studies [27,28] complicate inference and highlight the importance of further studies on saAA alterations for humans suffering from chronic stress. Also, Thoma et al [29] have found that daily mean saAA values of subjects suffering from the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) do not differ from the control group, while the awakening samples are significantly lower for subjects with PTSD.…”

Physiological adaptations to chronic stress in healthy humans – why might the sexes have evolved different energy utilisation strategies?

“…A more recent study showed a similar association between chronic stress and blunting of the acute autonomic stress response in men that was not seen in women (Teixeira et al . ). Although work‐related chronic stress has been associated with lower cortisol responses to acute stress (Bellingrath & Kudielka, ), we are not aware of any prior studies that have examined sex differences in this association.…”

Influences of persistent psychosocial stress in the real world on mental and physiological states in female college students

“…These findings would indicate increased sympathetic activity and decreased parasympathetic activity during the practice period, however, these changes were slight compared to mental state changes. Teixeira et al, reported hyporeactivity of the autonomic nervous system to acute mental stress (Stroop test) in male subjects with chronic psychological stress along with impaired cognitive performance [13]. I reported delayed recovery from acute mental stress in females with gastrointestinal symptoms who would possibly have more or less chronic stress [37].…”

“…doi: 10.7243/2055-3447-3-1 were examined in subjects under persistent psychosocial stress in the real world in some previous articles, but the results were not enough to predict pre-disease stressed state [12][13][14].…”