Abstract
We investigated the hypothesis that the effects of Monitoring and Blunting coping styles are mediated in part by endogenous opioids. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were measured in 39 males before, during, and after a mental arithmetic stressor. Each subject experienced the protocol once under opioid blockade (naltrexone) and once in a placebo condition, in counterbalanced order. Monitoring and Blunting were assessed using the Miller Behavioral Style Scale. High Blunting and high Monitoring were both associated with poorer MAP recovery under opioid blockade than in the placebo condition. Similar effects were noted for Blunting on the measure of HR. These results indicate that the coping styles of Monitoring and Blunting may be associated with enhanced opioid mediation of cardiovascular recovery from stress.
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Preparation of the manuscript was supported by NIH Research Awards HL32738 and HL35195, NIMH training Grant MH15730, and General Clinical Research Centers Award M01 RR 2602 to the University of Kentucky.
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Bruehl, S., McCubbin, J.A., Wilson, J.F. et al. Coping styles, opioid blockade, and cardiovascular response to stress. J Behav Med 17, 25–40 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01856880
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01856880