Genetic analysis of autonomic reactivity to psychologically stressful situations

Citation
G. Lensvelt-mulders et J. Hettema, Genetic analysis of autonomic reactivity to psychologically stressful situations, BIOL PSYCH, 58(1), 2001, pp. 25-40
Citations number
43
Categorie Soggetti
Psycology
Journal title
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
ISSN journal
03010511 → ACNP
Volume
58
Issue
1
Year of publication
2001
Pages
25 - 40
Database
ISI
SICI code
0301-0511(200109)58:1<25:GAOART>2.0.ZU;2-Q
Abstract
We present the results of a behavioural genetics study on response profiles of autonomic measures (heart rate, blood pressure, and galvanic skin level ), under ecologically valid, stressful conditions. Where response profiles of different physiological variables are the object of study, and when dail y life stressors are taken into account (Turner and Hewitt, Annals of Behav ioral Medicine, 14 (1992) 12-20), autonomic responsiveness to psychological stressors is thought to be an inherited trait. The participants were 100 f emale twin pairs, 57 monozygotic and 43 dizygotic twin pairs. Participants watched eight films with a stressful social content while autonomic measure s were continuously recorded. Results show that the heritability coefficien ts of response profiles of autonomic measures are almost twice as high as t hat of single variables. The results further show that genes exert their in fluence on physiological behaviour not only directly, but also indirectly, by influencing the idiosyncratic relation between a person and his environm ent. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.