Experimental induction and termination of acute psychological stress in human volunteers: Effects on immunological, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and psychological parameters

Shlomo Breznitz; Hasida Ben-Zur; Yossi Berzon; David W. Weiss; Galina Levitan; Nora Tarcic; Sophia Lischinsky; Avital Greenberg; Nurit Levi; Oren Zinder

doi:10.1006/brbi.1997.0511

Experimental induction and termination of acute psychological stress in human volunteers: Effects on immunological, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and psychological parameters

Shlomo Breznitz, Hasida Ben-Zur, Yossi Berzon, David W. Weiss, Galina Levitan, Nora Tarcic, Sophia Lischinsky, Avital Greenberg, Nurit Levi, Oren Zinder

School of Social Work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The present research investigated the effects of controlled experimental manipulations of stress on biological and psychological reactions. Fifty young adult male volunteers were exposed to a 12-min period of stress induced by the threat of an unavoidable, painful electric shock. A 12-min period without this threat preceded or followed the stress period. Blood was drawn during the 4th and the 12th minute of each period. Anticipatory threat led to significant elevations in the proportions and cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) lymphocytes, plasma epinephrine levels, pulse rate, and reported level of tension, and to a reduction in the CD4/CD8 ratios. The no-threat period induced a return to baseline values for epinephrine, pulse rate, and tension, and lower than baseline levels for cytotoxic activity of NK lymphocytes, within a similarly short time span. The findings underline the rapidity with which physiological changes may transpire in the course of a brief and acute period of psychological stress, and the rapidity of their reversal upon relief from the stressor.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	34-52
Number of pages	19
Journal	Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
Volume	12
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1006/brbi.1997.0511
State	Published - Mar 1998

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Society of Research Associates of the Lautenberg Center, Concern Foundation, and the Wakefern/Shoprite Endowment. The authors express their appreciation to Dr. Avri Feldberg, who skillfully managed blood-drawing procedure with minimal discomfort to the participants. Thanks are also due Erez Velan for assistance with computer programming. Dr. Eric Diamond, Sharon Cohen, Yoav Brandt, and Sigal Geva’s help during the experimental sessions and the coding of data is most appreciated.

Keywords

Catecholamines
Immunological parameters
PNI
Psychoneuroimmunology
Relaxation
Shock threat
Stress

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Immunology
Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
Behavioral Neuroscience

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10.1006/brbi.1997.0511

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Breznitz, S., Ben-Zur, H., Berzon, Y., Weiss, D. W., Levitan, G., Tarcic, N., Lischinsky, S., Greenberg, A., Levi, N., & Zinder, O. (1998). Experimental induction and termination of acute psychological stress in human volunteers: Effects on immunological, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and psychological parameters. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 12(1), 34-52. https://doi.org/10.1006/brbi.1997.0511

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title = "Experimental induction and termination of acute psychological stress in human volunteers: Effects on immunological, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and psychological parameters",

abstract = "The present research investigated the effects of controlled experimental manipulations of stress on biological and psychological reactions. Fifty young adult male volunteers were exposed to a 12-min period of stress induced by the threat of an unavoidable, painful electric shock. A 12-min period without this threat preceded or followed the stress period. Blood was drawn during the 4th and the 12th minute of each period. Anticipatory threat led to significant elevations in the proportions and cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) lymphocytes, plasma epinephrine levels, pulse rate, and reported level of tension, and to a reduction in the CD4/CD8 ratios. The no-threat period induced a return to baseline values for epinephrine, pulse rate, and tension, and lower than baseline levels for cytotoxic activity of NK lymphocytes, within a similarly short time span. The findings underline the rapidity with which physiological changes may transpire in the course of a brief and acute period of psychological stress, and the rapidity of their reversal upon relief from the stressor.",

keywords = "Catecholamines, Immunological parameters, PNI, Psychoneuroimmunology, Relaxation, Shock threat, Stress",

author = "Shlomo Breznitz and Hasida Ben-Zur and Yossi Berzon and Weiss, {David W.} and Galina Levitan and Nora Tarcic and Sophia Lischinsky and Avital Greenberg and Nurit Levi and Oren Zinder",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Society of Research Associates of the Lautenberg Center, Concern Foundation, and the Wakefern/Shoprite Endowment. The authors express their appreciation to Dr. Avri Feldberg, who skillfully managed blood-drawing procedure with minimal discomfort to the participants. Thanks are also due Erez Velan for assistance with computer programming. Dr. Eric Diamond, Sharon Cohen, Yoav Brandt, and Sigal Geva{\textquoteright}s help during the experimental sessions and the coding of data is most appreciated.",

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doi = "10.1006/brbi.1997.0511",

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journal = "Brain, Behavior, and Immunity",

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Breznitz, S, Ben-Zur, H, Berzon, Y, Weiss, DW, Levitan, G, Tarcic, N, Lischinsky, S, Greenberg, A, Levi, N & Zinder, O 1998, 'Experimental induction and termination of acute psychological stress in human volunteers: Effects on immunological, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and psychological parameters', Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 34-52. https://doi.org/10.1006/brbi.1997.0511

Experimental induction and termination of acute psychological stress in human volunteers: Effects on immunological, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and psychological parameters. / Breznitz, Shlomo; Ben-Zur, Hasida; Berzon, Yossi et al.
In: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, Vol. 12, No. 1, 03.1998, p. 34-52.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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T2 - Effects on immunological, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and psychological parameters

AU - Breznitz, Shlomo

AU - Ben-Zur, Hasida

AU - Berzon, Yossi

AU - Weiss, David W.

AU - Levitan, Galina

AU - Tarcic, Nora

AU - Lischinsky, Sophia

AU - Greenberg, Avital

AU - Levi, Nurit

AU - Zinder, Oren

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the Society of Research Associates of the Lautenberg Center, Concern Foundation, and the Wakefern/Shoprite Endowment. The authors express their appreciation to Dr. Avri Feldberg, who skillfully managed blood-drawing procedure with minimal discomfort to the participants. Thanks are also due Erez Velan for assistance with computer programming. Dr. Eric Diamond, Sharon Cohen, Yoav Brandt, and Sigal Geva’s help during the experimental sessions and the coding of data is most appreciated.

PY - 1998/3

Y1 - 1998/3

N2 - The present research investigated the effects of controlled experimental manipulations of stress on biological and psychological reactions. Fifty young adult male volunteers were exposed to a 12-min period of stress induced by the threat of an unavoidable, painful electric shock. A 12-min period without this threat preceded or followed the stress period. Blood was drawn during the 4th and the 12th minute of each period. Anticipatory threat led to significant elevations in the proportions and cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) lymphocytes, plasma epinephrine levels, pulse rate, and reported level of tension, and to a reduction in the CD4/CD8 ratios. The no-threat period induced a return to baseline values for epinephrine, pulse rate, and tension, and lower than baseline levels for cytotoxic activity of NK lymphocytes, within a similarly short time span. The findings underline the rapidity with which physiological changes may transpire in the course of a brief and acute period of psychological stress, and the rapidity of their reversal upon relief from the stressor.

AB - The present research investigated the effects of controlled experimental manipulations of stress on biological and psychological reactions. Fifty young adult male volunteers were exposed to a 12-min period of stress induced by the threat of an unavoidable, painful electric shock. A 12-min period without this threat preceded or followed the stress period. Blood was drawn during the 4th and the 12th minute of each period. Anticipatory threat led to significant elevations in the proportions and cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) lymphocytes, plasma epinephrine levels, pulse rate, and reported level of tension, and to a reduction in the CD4/CD8 ratios. The no-threat period induced a return to baseline values for epinephrine, pulse rate, and tension, and lower than baseline levels for cytotoxic activity of NK lymphocytes, within a similarly short time span. The findings underline the rapidity with which physiological changes may transpire in the course of a brief and acute period of psychological stress, and the rapidity of their reversal upon relief from the stressor.

KW - Catecholamines

KW - Immunological parameters

KW - PNI

KW - Psychoneuroimmunology

KW - Relaxation

KW - Shock threat

KW - Stress

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U2 - 10.1006/brbi.1997.0511

DO - 10.1006/brbi.1997.0511

M3 - Article

C2 - 9570860

AN - SCOPUS:0032033945

SN - 0889-1591

VL - 12

SP - 34

EP - 52

JO - Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

JF - Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

IS - 1

ER -

Experimental induction and termination of acute psychological stress in human volunteers: Effects on immunological, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and psychological parameters

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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