The Relationship Among Heart Rate, Carotid dP/dt, and Blood Pressure in Humans as a Function of the Type of Stress

Abstract

In three experiments involving young adult males, beta‐adrenergic influences on heart rate and carotid dP/dt were evaluated as a function of the degree of individual control over stressful events. Beta‐adrenergic effects were more pronounced under conditions in which the subjects were either led to believe they had control or where some control was actually provided, i.e., a shock avoidance task. Beta‐adrenergic influences were either minimal or rapidly dissipated under conditions where no control was possible, i.e., the cold pressor, a pornographic film, inescapable shocks, or conditions which provided ready mastery of the task. Where beta‐adrenergic effects were maximal, systolic blood pressure was more appreciably elevated while diastolic blood pressure was less elevated than when beta‐adrenergic effects were minimal. A pharmacological blocking agent (propranolol) was used in one experiment to specify the extent the various cardiovascular changes were influenced by beta‐adrenergic activity. The results are discussed with respect to issues concerning stimulus parameters, blood pressure control mechanisms, individual differences in cardiovascular reactivity, and some methodological problems of the current study.

Optimism and Cardiovascular Reactivity to Psychological and Cold Pressor Stress

“…As a pe-sive physical stressor, the CP task would be expected to elicit greater DBP increases and smaller SBP and HR changes (Obrist et al, 1978). These expectations were not totally realized in this study.…”

Pulse transit time: Relationship to blood pressure

“…The vigilance task had a duration of, 14 min. A 2-to 3-min resting baseline preceded each stressor, and a final minute followed the last (see Obrist et al, 1978, for details).…”

Cardiovascular response patterns during choice reaction time

“…Obrist and his colleagues (Obrist, Gaebelein, Teller, Langer, Gringolo, Light, & McCubbin, 1978;Obrist et aI., 1974;Obrist, Light, McCubbin, Hutcheson, & Hoffer, 1979) have, for the last few years, been examining stress-induced sympathetic influences on the heart. One situation has been a reaction time task with electric shock contingent upon performance.…”