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Attenuation of positive and negative affect in men and women at increased risk for hypertension: A function of endogenous barostimulation?
Author(s) -
Wilkinson Daniel Z.,
France Christopher R.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2008.00757.x
Subject(s) - psychology , affect (linguistics) , endogeny , function (biology) , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , communication , biology , evolutionary biology
We hypothesized that activation of endogenous baroreflexes would be associated with reduced responsivity to affective stimuli and that this effect would be enhanced in individuals at risk for hypertension. Images from the International Affective Picture System were presented during systolic and diastolic phases of the cardiac cycle. Affective responsivity was measured using electromyographic activity, skin conductance, and ratings of arousal and valence. Compared to offspring of normotensives, individuals with a parental history of hypertension showed reduced responsivity to both positive and negative affective stimuli; however, responsivity did not differ as a function of cardiac cycle phase. Although these findings do not support a barostimulation mechanism of affective dampening, it is premature to discount the baroreflex inhibition hypothesis given the limited affective reactions elicited by visual stimuli presented in the laboratory.