Key result
During a difficult arithmetic task, Type A men exhibited significantly greater reductions in T-wave amplitude compared to Type B men, suggesting excessive sympathetic stimulation of the myocardium.
Why the study?
Do healthy Type A men show greater electrocardiographic T-wave changes than Type B men during mental work?
Observational
Do healthy Type A men show greater electrocardiographic T-wave changes than Type B men during mental work?
Type A men exhibit greater reductions in T-wave amplitude during mental stress compared to Type B men, suggesting excessive sympathetic stimulation of the myocardium.
May support sympathetic overactivity in Type A men during stress; leaves open causal role in coronary disease and needs longitudinal confirmation.
Phasic changes in heart rate (HR) and electrocardiographic T-wave amplitude (TWA) were monitored in healthy Type A (coronary-prone) and Type B (non-coronary-prone) men during the performance of a difficult arithmetic task. Type As showed significantly greater reductions in TWA as compared to Type Bs, though no group differences were present in HR change. This pattern of results, wherein a significant Type A-B difference was observed in a phasic measure of ventricular performance (TWA), but not in one of supraventricular performance (HR), suggests that Type As experience excessive neurally mediated sympathetic stimulation of the myocardium during mental work.
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Scher et al. (1986) conducted an observational in Healthy men. Difficult arithmetic task vs. Type B men was evaluated on Phasic changes in heart rate and electrocardiographic T-wave amplitude. During a difficult arithmetic task, Type A men exhibited significantly greater reductions in T-wave amplitude compared to Type B men, suggesting excessive sympathetic stimulation of the myocardium.
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