| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
REACTIVITY SPECIAL SECTION |
From the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (W.R.L.), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Mount Sinai School of Medicine (W.G.), New York, New York.
Address reprint requests to: William R. Lovallo, PhD, Veterans Affairs Medical Center (151A), 921 NE 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104. Email: bill{at}mindbody1.org
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This article examines possible sources of heightened psychophysiological reactivity in relation to risk for hypertension and coronary artery disease. The idea that exaggerated reactions to psychological stress may predict greater risk for future disease has some support in the psychosomatic and behavioral medicine literature. However, the pathways by which exaggerated reactivity could arise in a given person and the implications of different sources of reactivity for potential disease relationships have received little attention.
METHODS: This topic is approached through a selective literature review and by means of a neurophysiologically based model of individual differences in physiological reactivity. Temperament characteristics, cognitive processes, neurophysiology, and peripheral physiology are used to indicate three levels that could contribute to exaggerated physiological reactivity.
RESULTS: At the top level in the model, activity of the frontal cortex and limbic system establish cognitive-emotional sources of activation that may underlie exaggerated physiological reactivity. In the absence of these influences, large responses may be more likely when exaggerated subcortical response tendencies are present via the hypothalamus or brain stem. Finally, peripheral alterations may account for larger reactions in persons who have otherwise normal emotional and hypothalamic and brainstem response tendencies. Cognitive-emotional and hypothalamic-brainstem sources of altered reactivity may cause or aggravate disease. In contrast, altered peripheral reactivity suggests that a pathophysiologic process may be present, serving as a marker for disease.
CONCLUSIONS: These three levels of analysis allow for organization of existing data in the area of cardiovascular reactivity and for planning future studies in a hypothesis-building framework.
Key Words: cardiovascular reactivity • hypertension • coronary artery disease • stress • emotions.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  C. Hausteiner, D. Klupsch, R. Emeny, J. Baumert, K.-H. Ladwig, and for the KORA Investigators Clustering of Negative Affectivity and Social Inhibition in the Community: Prevalence of Type D Personality as a Cardiovascular Risk Marker Psychosom Med, February 1, 2010; 72(2): 163 - 171. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. S. Hassellund, A. Flaa, L. Sandvik, S. E. Kjeldsen, and M. Rostrup Long-Term Stability of Cardiovascular and Catecholamine Responses to Stress Tests: An 18-Year Follow-Up Study Hypertension, January 1, 2010; 55(1): 131 - 136. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. O'Donovan and B. M. Hughes Access to Social Support in Life and in the Laboratory: Combined Impact on Cardiovascular Reactivity to Stress and State Anxiety J Health Psychol, November 1, 2008; 13(8): 1147 - 1156. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Flaa, I. K. Eide, S. E. Kjeldsen, and M. Rostrup Sympathoadrenal Stress Reactivity Is a Predictor of Future Blood Pressure: An 18-Year Follow-Up Study Hypertension, August 1, 2008; 52(2): 336 - 341. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Carroll, A. C. Phillips, and G. Der Body Mass Index, Abdominal Adiposity, Obesity, and Cardiovascular Reactions to Psychological Stress in a Large Community Sample Psychosom Med, July 1, 2008; 70(6): 653 - 660. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. J. Hilmert, C. D. Schetter, T. P. Dominguez, C. Abdou, C. J. Hobel, L. Glynn, and C. Sandman Stress and Blood Pressure During Pregnancy: Racial Differences and Associations With Birthweight Psychosom Med, January 1, 2008; 70(1): 57 - 64. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. N. Mayorov Brain superoxide as a key regulator of the cardiovascular response to emotional stress in rabbits Exp Physiol, May 1, 2007; 92(3): 471 - 479. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
U. Sovio, V. King, J. Miettunen, E. Ek, J. Laitinen, M. Joukamaa, J. Veijola, and M.-R. Jarvelin Cloninger's Temperament Dimensions, Socio-economic and Lifestyle Factors and Metabolic Syndrome Markers at Age 31 Years in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 J Health Psychol, March 1, 2007; 12(2): 371 - 382. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. J. Gianaros, J. R. Jennings, L. K. Sheu, S. W.G. Derbyshire, and K. A. Matthews Heightened Functional Neural Activation to Psychological Stress Covaries With Exaggerated Blood Pressure Reactivity Hypertension, January 1, 2007; 49(1): 134 - 140. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Flaa, H. H. Mundal, I. Eide, S. Kjeldsen, and M. Rostrup Sympathetic Activity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Young Men in the Low, Normal, and High Blood Pressure Ranges Hypertension, March 1, 2006; 47(3): 396 - 402. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Clark, R. A. Benkert, and J. M. Flack Violence Exposure and Optimism Predict Task-Induced Changes in Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate in a Normotensive Sample of Inner-City Black Youth Psychosom Med, January 1, 2006; 68(1): 73 - 79. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. C. Phillips, D. Carroll, C. Ring, H. Sweeting, and P. West Life Events and Acute Cardiovascular Reactions to Mental Stress: A Cohort Study Psychosom Med, May 1, 2005; 67(3): 384 - 392. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. S. Masters, T. L. Lensegrav-Benson, J. C. Kircher, and R. D. Hill Effects of Religious Orientation and Gender on Cardiovascular Reactivity Among Older Adults Research on Aging, March 1, 2005; 27(2): 221 - 240. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. J. Gianaros, J. C. May, G. J. Siegle, and J. R. Jennings Is There a Functional Neural Correlate of Individual Differences in Cardiovascular Reactivity? Psychosom Med, January 1, 2005; 67(1): 31 - 39. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. S. Thomas, R. A. Nelesen, M. G. Ziegler, W. A. Bardwell, and J. E. Dimsdale Job Strain, Ethnicity, and Sympathetic Nervous System Activity Hypertension, December 1, 2004; 44(6): 891 - 896. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. M. Llabre, S. Spitzer, S. Siegel, P. G. Saab, and N. Schneiderman Applying Latent Growth Curve Modeling to the Investigation of Individual Differences in Cardiovascular Recovery From Stress Psychosom Med, January 1, 2004; 66(1): 29 - 41. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Clark Parental History of Hypertension and Coping Responses Predict Blood Pressure Changes in Black College Volunteers Undergoing a Speaking Task About Perceptions of Racism Psychosom Med, November 1, 2003; 65(6): 1012 - 1019. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. Linden, W. Gerin, and K. Davidson Cardiovascular Reactivity: Status Quo and a Research Agenda for the New Millennium Psychosom Med, January 1, 2003; 65(1): 5 - 8. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. W. Kamarck and W. R. Lovallo Cardiovascular Reactivity to Psychological Challenge: Conceptual and Measurement Considerations Psychosom Med, January 1, 2003; 65(1): 9 - 21. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. R. Schwartz, W. Gerin, K. W. Davidson, T. G. Pickering, J. F. Brosschot, J. F. Thayer, N. Christenfeld, and W. Linden Toward a Causal Model of Cardiovascular Responses to Stress and the Development of Cardiovascular Disease Psychosom Med, January 1, 2003; 65(1): 22 - 35. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
