Open Accessβ-Adrenergic Contributions to Emotion and Physiology During an Acute Psychosocial Stressor
Author(s) -
Jennifer K. MacCormack,
Emma ArmstrongCarter,
Monica M. Gaudier-Diaz,
Samantha MeltzerBrody,
Erica K. Sloan,
Kristen A. Lindquist,
Keely A. Muscatell
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
psychosomatic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.62
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1534-7796
pISSN - 0033-3174
DOI - 10.1097/psy.0000000000001009
Subject(s) - trier social stress test , sympathetic nervous system , psychology , arousal , stressor , propranolol , autonomic nervous system , context (archaeology) , placebo , psychophysiology , heart rate , psychosocial , blockade , developmental psychology , medicine , clinical psychology , neuroscience , blood pressure , psychiatry , fight or flight response , paleontology , biochemistry , chemistry , alternative medicine , biology , gene , receptor , pathology
β-Adrenergic receptor signaling, a critical mediator of sympathetic nervous system influences on physiology and behavior, has long been proposed as one contributor to subjective stress. However, prior findings are surprisingly mixed about whether β-blockade (e.g., propranolol) blunts subjective stress, with many studies reporting no effects. We reevaluated this question in the context of an acute psychosocial stressor with more comprehensive measures and a larger-than-typical sample. We also examined the effects of β-blockade on psychophysiological indicators of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system reactivity, given that β-blockade effects for these measures specifically under acute psychosocial stress are not yet well established.