TY - JOUR
T1 - Acute cortisol response to a psychosocial stressor is associated with heartbeat perception
AU - Maeda, Shunta
AU - Ogishima, Hiroyoshi
AU - Shimada, Hironori
PY - 2019/8/1
Y1 - 2019/8/1
N2 - The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of an acute increase in cortisol in response to a psychosocial stressor on heartbeat perception, in a laboratory environment. Thirty-six participants (20 women, 16 men, mean age = 21.7 years, standard deviation = 1.7 years) completed a heartbeat counting task (Schandry paradigm) before and after exposure to an acute psychosocial stressor (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST). Heartbeat counting performance was compared between participants who exhibited strong cortisol responses (>15.5% increase in cortisol from baseline; responders) and those who did not (non-responders). Responders showed increased heartbeat counting accuracy following the TSST, which was not observed in non-responders. The two groups did not differ in their responsivity to subjective anxiety ratings or heart rate. These results indicated that acutely elevated cortisol in response to a psychosocial stressor is associated with increased interoceptive accuracy. The results provide a possible explanation for inconsistent findings on the effect of stress exposure on interoception.
AB - The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of an acute increase in cortisol in response to a psychosocial stressor on heartbeat perception, in a laboratory environment. Thirty-six participants (20 women, 16 men, mean age = 21.7 years, standard deviation = 1.7 years) completed a heartbeat counting task (Schandry paradigm) before and after exposure to an acute psychosocial stressor (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST). Heartbeat counting performance was compared between participants who exhibited strong cortisol responses (>15.5% increase in cortisol from baseline; responders) and those who did not (non-responders). Responders showed increased heartbeat counting accuracy following the TSST, which was not observed in non-responders. The two groups did not differ in their responsivity to subjective anxiety ratings or heart rate. These results indicated that acutely elevated cortisol in response to a psychosocial stressor is associated with increased interoceptive accuracy. The results provide a possible explanation for inconsistent findings on the effect of stress exposure on interoception.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Cortisol
KW - Heartbeat perception
KW - Interoception
KW - Stress
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U2 - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.05.013
DO - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.05.013
M3 - Article
C2 - 31095929
AN - SCOPUS:85065706735
VL - 207
SP - 132
EP - 138
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
SN - 0031-9384
ER -