SOMATIC AND NON-SOMATIC INFLUENCES ON THE HEART - HEMODYNAMIC-CHANGES

Hemodynamic changes in response to two different stressors were obtained and compared in order to determine whether non‐somatic influences on the cardiovascular system were similar to somatic influences regardless of the metabolic requirements. Ten subjects participated in three different treatment conditions: a) pre‐performance anxiety (a realistic psychological stress condition), b) mild exercise (the physical stress condition), and c) a control (no stress condition). The exercise levels were assigned to elicit heart rates equivalent to those observed during the pre‐performance anxiety condition. The cardiac index (CI) for both stressors was significantly increased above control values and even though the exercise condition had a higher predicted metabolic requirement, similar CI values were found in 8 out of 10 subjects. Two subjects classified as labile hypertensive responded with a greater cardiovascular reactivity to the psychological stress than to the physical stress. It appeared that the psychological stress condition evoked a cardiovascular response that was excessive for the metabolic requirements. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved