Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
Int J Psychophysiol. 2018 Feb;124:62-70. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.10.013. Epub 2017 Nov 7.
The Cold Pressor Test (CPT) is often used in psychobiological research. However, the classical CPT version (unilateral hand immersion into ice-water) involves some disadvantages: hands may be needed for further applications, attentional drift towards the affected sensory hemi-field and/or physiological activation of the contralateral hemisphere may produce a laterality bias. Furthermore, instruction-induced motor activity may bias physiologic reactivity. To avoid these problems, a fully automated bilateral feet CPT was developed and tested for validity and feasibility. The test procedure is based on computerized control of water influx and efflux. This allows for maximal standardization and precise timing. Furthermore, water is kept in permanent flow to prohibit formation of stable temperature layers in skin proximity. Laterality bias, instructions effects and motor responses (e.g. lifting feet out of a water basin) are avoided. In a counterbalanced within-subject design, 28 healthy male students were exposed to the CPT and to a warm water control (CNT) condition twice, one week apart. Cardiovascular parameters, salivary cortisol and subjective ratings (stress, arousal and pain) were assessed before, during, and after interventions. The CPT profoundly affected physiology as well as subjective ratings. Expectation effects (immediately before testing) were small. Furthermore, post-CPT (presumably compensatory/counter-regulatory) effects on heart rate and stroke volume were found. In conclusion, the automated bilateral feet CPT is a valid and feasible stress test modification. Hemodynamic, subjective and endocrine stress responses are substantial, suggesting that this test version represents an advanced and suitable tool in human stress research.
冷水压力测试（CPT）常用于心理生物学研究。然而，经典的 CPT 版本（单侧手浸入冰水）存在一些缺点：手可能需要用于进一步的应用，注意力可能会漂移到受影响的感觉半视野，或者对侧大脑半球的生理激活可能会产生偏侧性偏差。此外，指令引起的运动活动可能会影响生理反应性。为了避免这些问题，开发了一种完全自动化的双侧脚 CPT，并对其有效性和可行性进行了测试。测试过程基于计算机控制的水流进出。这允许最大程度的标准化和精确的计时。此外，水保持在持续流动中，以防止皮肤附近形成稳定的温度层。避免了偏侧性偏差、指令效应和运动反应（例如将脚从水盆中抬起）。在平衡的被试内设计中，28 名健康男性学生在一周内两次接受 CPT 和温水对照（CNT）条件的测试。心血管参数、唾液皮质醇和主观评分（压力、唤醒和疼痛）在干预前后进行评估。CPT 对生理学和主观评分都有很大影响。预期效应（测试前立即）很小。此外，还发现了 CPT 后的（可能是补偿/对抗调节）对心率和每搏量的影响。总之，自动化双侧脚 CPT 是一种有效的、可行的应激测试方法。血流动力学、主观和内分泌应激反应明显，表明这种测试版本代表了人类应激研究中的一种先进和合适的工具。
