Cardiovascular-Oxytocin Links in Social Interaction

描述（由申请人提供）：社会孤立和低社会支持与冠心病和死亡风险增加有关，可能是通过心血管和神经内分泌对潜在压力源的反应机制。越来越多的证据表明，社会支持和心理生理反应之间存在关联，但实验研究并没有考察实际社会网络关系背景下的支持，也没有考察特质敌意和关系质量可能产生的调节作用。此外，在这种情况下，减压神经内分泌基础的隶属关系和依恋的作用尚未得到检验。提出的研究将在已婚夫妇中解决这些问题。夫妻将完成三种二元互动任务（支持、中立或冲突）中的一种，然后个人参与一个有压力的演讲任务。支持和冲突的社会互动对血压、儿茶酚胺、皮质醇和催产素反应的同时影响将被检查，以及在随后的压力任务中社会互动对这些相同变量变化的“延续”效应。我们预测，配偶之间的支持性互动会降低并发和随后的心血管、儿茶酚胺和皮质醇反应，而冲突性互动会增强这些反应。此外，我们将研究催产素的变化作为这些影响的可能中介。我们还期望敌意特质和先前关系质量的个体差异会缓和社会互动对这些生理反应的并发和延续效应。研究一将测试这些影响在18至50岁年龄段的缓和程度。研究二将比较白种人和非裔美国人的这些影响。对人际关系中社会支持和相关社会心理风险因素的心理生物学解释可以指导风险降低、预防干预的细化。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Social isolation and low social support are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease and death, presumably through the mechanism of cardiovascular and neuroendocrine reactivity to potential stressors. There is mounting evidence of an association between social support and psychophysiological responses, but the experimental studies have not examined support in the context of actual social network relationships, nor have they examined the likely moderating effects of trait hostility and relationship quality. Further, the role of stress reducing neuroendocrine bases of affiliation and attachment have not been examined in this context. The studies proposed will address these issues in married couples. Couples will complete one of three dyadic interaction tasks (supportive, neutral, or conflictual), followed by individual participation in a stressful speaking task. Concurrent effects of supportive and conflictual social interaction on blood pressure, catecholamine, cortisol and oxytocin responses will be examined, as will "carry over" effects of social interaction on changes in these same variables during the subsequent stressful task. We predict that supportive interactions between spouses will be associated with decreased concurrent and subsequent cardiovascular, catecholamine, and cortisol responses, and that conflcitual interactions will heighten these responses. Further, we will examine changes in oxytocin as a possible mediator of these effects. We also expect that individual differences in trait hostility and prior relationship quality will moderate the concurrent and carryover effects of social interaction on these physiological responses. Study one will test the moderation of these effects across the age range of 18 to 50 years. Study two will compare these effects in Caucasians and African Americans. Explication of the psychobiology of social support and related psychosocial risk factors in personal relationships could guide the refinement of risk reducing, preventive interventions.