Cardiovascular-Oxytocin Links in Social Interaction

描述（由申请人提供）：社会孤立和社会支持不足与冠心病和死亡风险增加相关，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。有越来越多的证据表明，社会支持和心理生理反应之间的关联，但实验研究并没有在实际的社会网络关系的背景下检查支持，也没有检查特质敌意和关系质量的可能调节作用。此外，在这种情况下，还没有研究减轻压力的作用，神经内分泌基础的联系和依恋。拟议的研究将解决已婚夫妇的这些问题。夫妇将完成三个二元互动任务（支持，中立，或冲突）之一，其次是个人参与的压力发言任务。支持性和冲突性社会互动对血压、儿茶酚胺、皮质醇和催产素反应的并发影响将被研究，因为在随后的压力任务中，社会互动对这些相同变量的变化的“结转”影响也将被研究。我们预测，配偶之间的支持性互动将与减少并发和随后的心血管，儿茶酚胺和皮质醇的反应，和conflceptibility的相互作用将提高这些反应。此外，我们将研究催产素的变化作为这些影响的可能介质。我们还预计，特质敌意和先前的关系质量的个体差异将适度的并发和结转的社会互动对这些生理反应的影响。研究一将测试这些影响在18至50岁年龄范围内的适度性。第二项研究将比较高加索人和非洲裔美国人的这些影响。社会支持的心理生物学和相关的心理社会危险因素的个人关系的解释可以指导风险降低，预防干预措施的完善。

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.