Bigalke Jeremy A, John-Henderson Neha A, Carter Jason R
Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States.
Department of Psychology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States.
J Appl Physiol (1985). 2025 Jan 1;138(1):55-65. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00678.2024. Epub 2024 Nov 27.
Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) responsiveness to mental stress is highly variable between individuals. Although stress perception has been posited as a contributor to the MSNA variability during mental stress, prior studies have been inconclusive. Furthermore, the importance of stress appraisal and coping on MSNA reactivity to mental stress has not been investigated. We hypothesize that appraisal of mental stress as a threat (i.e., perceived demands of stress exceed coping resources) versus a challenge (i.e., perceived coping resources sufficient for demands of stress) would be associated with greater MSNA reactivity. Twenty healthy adults (11 males, 9 females, 21 ± 3 yr, 23 ± 3 kg/m) participated. Beat-by-beat blood pressure (finger plethysmography), heart rate (electrocardiography), and MSNA (microneurography) were recorded during a 10-min quiet rest followed by the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). After each phase of the TSST (i.e., speech prep, speech, and mental arithmetic), participants reported threat versus challenge appraisal. Endorsement of a threat appraisal was positively associated with changes in MSNA burst frequency ( = 0.548, = 0.018), burst incidence ( = 0.599, = 0.009), and total MSNA ( = 0.697, = 0.037) during the speech stress period. Moreover, increases in threat appraisal across tasks was associated with elevated MSNA burst frequency ( = 0.531, = 0.023), incidence ( = 0.512, = 0.030), and total MSNA ( = 0.727, = 0.027) responsiveness. These findings support an association between stress appraisal processes and postganglionic sympathetic neural reactivity to psychosocial stress and may partially explain interindividual variability in MSNA responses to mental stress. The present study investigated the association between stress appraisal and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test. Appraisal of the stress task as a threat (i.e., perceived inability to cope with the demands of the task) was associated with exaggerated MSNA reactivity to mental stress in humans. Threat appraisal is associated with exaggerated sympathetic reactivity to stress, potentially underlying the commonly observed interindividual variability in MSNA responsiveness to mental stress.
肌肉交感神经活动（MSNA）对精神压力的反应在个体之间存在很大差异。尽管压力感知被认为是精神压力期间MSNA变异性的一个影响因素，但先前的研究尚无定论。此外，压力评估和应对方式对MSNA对精神压力反应性的重要性尚未得到研究。我们假设，将精神压力评估为威胁（即，感知到的压力需求超过应对资源）与评估为挑战（即，感知到的应对资源足以应对压力需求）相比，会与更高的MSNA反应性相关。20名健康成年人（11名男性，9名女性，年龄21±3岁，体重指数23±3kg/m²）参与了研究。在10分钟的安静休息后进行特里尔社会压力测试（TSST），期间逐搏记录血压（手指体积描记法）、心率（心电图）和MSNA（微神经ography）。在TSST的每个阶段（即演讲准备、演讲和心算）之后，参与者报告对威胁与挑战的评估。在演讲压力期间，认可威胁评估与MSNA爆发频率的变化（r = 0.548，P = 0.018）、爆发发生率（r = 0.599，P = 0.009）和总MSNA（r = 0.697，P = 0.037）呈正相关。此外，跨任务的威胁评估增加与MSNA爆发频率（r = 0.531，P = 0.023）、发生率（r = 0.512，P = 0.030）和总MSNA（r = 0.727，P = 0.027）反应性升高相关。这些发现支持了压力评估过程与节后交感神经对心理社会压力的反应性之间的关联，并且可能部分解释了MSNA对精神压力反应的个体间差异。本研究调查了压力评估与肌肉交感神经活动（MSNA）对特里尔社会压力测试的反应性之间的关联。将压力任务评估为威胁（即，感知到无法应对任务需求）与人类对精神压力的MSNA反应性夸大有关。威胁评估与对压力的交感反应性夸大有关，这可能是MSNA对精神压力反应性中常见的个体间差异的潜在原因。
