In 24 normotensive subjects, higher anxiety was associated with more accurate heart rate perception, whereas higher alexithymia was associated with less accurate heart rate perception.
Observational (n=24)
Psychological traits such as anxiety and alexithymia influence an individual's ability to accurately perceive their heart rate, but not their blood pressure.
While the ability to estimate heart rate in a laboratory setting appears to be related to anxiety and alexithymia, it is still unclear how the ability to estimate blood pressure is related to these psychological measures. The perception of heart rate and blood pressure in 24 normotensive subjects with varying degrees of alexithymia and anxiety was examined. Results indicate that the estimation of heart rate is related to psychological characteristics, while the estimation of blood pressure is not. More anxious subjects perceived heart rate more accurately than less anxious subjects. Furthermore, high alexithymic subjects perceived heart rate less accurately than low alexithymic subjects. The accuracy of estimation of blood pressure was, however, not related to alexithymia or anxiety. These findings provide further evidence that blood pressure estimates in a laboratory setting are mainly based upon situational cues.
Näring et al. (Thu,) conducted a observational in Normotension (n=24). Psychological characteristics (alexithymia and anxiety) was evaluated on Accuracy of estimation of heart rate and blood pressure. In 24 normotensive subjects, higher anxiety was associated with more accurate heart rate perception, whereas higher alexithymia was associated with less accurate heart rate perception.
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