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Heart rate and blood pressure resting levels and responses to generic stressors in Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder
Author(s) -
Orr Scott P.,
Meyerhoff James L.,
Edwards Joely V.,
Pitman Roger K.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1023/a:1024421502881
Subject(s) - blood pressure , stressor , heart rate , orthostatic vital signs , cold pressor test , posttraumatic stress , psychology , psychiatry , cardiology , medicine , clinical psychology
Resting heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured on 3 successive mornings in the homes of drug‐free Vietnam combat veterans, classified on the basis of DSM‐III‐R criteria into current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; n = 20) or non‐PTSD ( n = 15). Responses to three generic stressor challenges (orthostatic, mental arithmetic, and cold pressor) were also measured. In the orthostatic stressor condition, DBP increased over time in the non‐PTSD, but not in the PTSD, veterans, suggesting a paradoxically reduced autonomic response in PTSD. There were no other significant group differences in resting levels or responses to any of the challenges for any measure.