Key result
Exposure to September 11 attacks linked to heightened pediatric stroke volume and cardiac output responses.
Why the study?
The effect of a potent background stressor, such as the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, on cardiovascular responses to acute stress in children was unclear.
Does exposure to a potent background stressor like the 9/11 terrorist attacks heighten cardiovascular responses to acute stress in children?
Observational (n=50)
Does exposure to a potent background stressor like the 9/11 terrorist attacks heighten cardiovascular responses to acute stress in children?
A potent background stressor such as a terrorist attack can temporarily heighten children's cardiovascular reactivity to subsequent acute stressors.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Post-9/11 background stress was associated with heightened pediatric CV reactivity that normalized within a year; leaves open whether this extends to other stressors or clinical risk.
A number of studies have considered whether background stress affects cardiovascular responses to acute stress tasks. The present study considers the effect of a potent background stressor with a clear onset, namely the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Specifically, the authors investigated differences among 9.5-year-old children tested before (N = 30) and then following (N = 20) the 9/11 attacks. In addition, a majority of these children (N = 37) were retested approximately 1 year later (i.e., before and after 9/11/2002). Children tested directly following 9/11/2001 exhibited significantly greater stroke volume and cardiac output responses to acute stress tasks compared with their responses 1 year later, and this change in reactivity differed significantly from the change in reactivity exhibited by children tested before 9/11/2001 and again 1 year later. These results suggest that a potent background stressor can temporarily heighten some children's cardiovascular responses to subsequent acute stressors.
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Gump et al. (2005) reported an observational. September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks (background stressor) vs. Children tested before 9/11/2001 and 1-year follow-up was evaluated on Stroke volume and cardiac output responses to acute stress tasks.
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