Perception of Heart Rate and Blood Pressure: The Role of Alexithymia and Anxiety
Year: 2010
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: While the ability to estimate heart rate in a laboratory setting appears to be related to anxiety and alexithymia, it is still unclear how the ability to estimate blood pressure is related to these psychological measures. The perception of heart rate and blood pressure in 24 normotensive subjects with varying degrees of alexithymia and anxiety was examined. Results indicate that the estimation of heart rate is related to psychological characteristics, while the estimation of blood pressure is not. More anxious subjects perceived heart rate more accurately than less anxious subjects. Furthermore, high alexithymic subjects perceived heart rate less accurately than low alexithymic subjects. The accuracy of estimation of blood pressure was, however, not related to alexithymia or anxiety. These findings provide further evidence that blood pressure estimates in a laboratory setting are mainly based upon situational cues.
Source: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
DOI: 10.1159/000288959
Authors: G.W.B. Näring, C.P.F. van der Staak
Institution: Radboud University Nijmegen
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2032817114