Exposure to different stressors elicited measurable changes in heart rate from baseline (all p < 0.05), with the attention task decreasing high (68±7%) and low (62±13%) frequency HRV components.
How do different types of stressors affect heart rate and heart rate variability compared to baseline?
Different types of acute stressors elicit distinct patterns of heart rate variability response, highlighting the complexity of autonomic reactivity.
p-value: p=< 0.05
Small beat-to-beat differences in heart rate are the result of dynamic control of the cardiovascular system by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been positively correlated with both mental and physical health. While many studies measure HRV under rest conditions, few have measured HRV during stressful situations. We describe an experimental protocol designed to measure baseline, task, and recovery values of HRV as a function of three different types of stressors. These stressors involve an attention task, a cold pressor test, and a videotaped speech presentation. We found a measurable change in heart rate in participants (n=10) during each task (all p's < 0.05). The relative increase or decrease from pre-task heart rate was predicted by task (one-way ANOVA, p= 0.0001). Spectral analysis of HRV during the attention task revealed consistently decreased measures of both high (68+/-7%, mean+/-S.E.) and low (62+/-13%) frequency HRV components as compared to baseline. HRV spectra for the cold pressor and speech tasks revealed no consistent patterns of increase or decrease from baseline measurements. We also found no correlation in reactivity measures between any of our tasks. These findings suggest that each of the tasks in our experimental design elicits a different type of stress response in an individual. Our experimental approach may prove useful to biobehavioral researchers searching for factors that determine individual differences in responses to stress in daily life.
Moses et al. (Wed,) reported a other. Stressors (attention task, cold pressor test, speech presentation) vs. Baseline was evaluated on Change in heart rate and heart rate variability (p=< 0.05). Exposure to different stressors elicited measurable changes in heart rate from baseline (all p < 0.05), with the attention task decreasing high (68±7%) and low (62±13%) frequency HRV components.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: