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Biomedical subjects

A Steptoe

Publications and source records attributed to A Steptoe.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Relaxation and skin conductance feedback in the control of reactions to cognitive tasks.

Peripheral physiological activity and verbal ratings of tension and nervousness were assessed during instructed relaxation, and relaxation assisted by feedback of skin conductance level (SCL). Sixteen volunteers attempted to use each strategy in turn in a cross-over design. Responses were monitored both during quiet relaxation, and throughout the performance of taxing cognitive tasks. Th electrodermal feedback made no difference to the reductions in SCL, heart rate or subjective ratings, when relaxation was carried out in undisturbed conditions. Following training, reactions to cognitive tasks were attenuated. It is suggested that while SCL feedback may aid the management of reactivity, it has little impact in the short term on depth of relaxation achieved by instructional programmes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Attenuation of the diving reflex in man by mental stimulation.

1. A study was made of the effects of mental arithmetic, and of listening to prose, on the bradycardia produced by breath holding with and without immersion of the face in cold water. 2. Bradycardia was produced in both air and water, but the response was significantly greater on face immersion. The reaction was attenuated by mental arithmetic in both air and water. In contrast external distraction by listening to prose had no effect on cardiac response. 3. It was concluded that the diving reflex can be modified by higher nervous stimulation. The effect is apparently dependent on mental challenge, such as that provoked by arithmetic.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

The discrimination of blood pressure fluctuations.

Two studies are described in which volunteers were trained to distinguish between displays contingent on or independent of blood pressure fluctuations. The latter were monitored with pulse transit time (TT). In Experiment 1, subjects were required to choose between TV displays that either reflected instantaneous TT or variations recorded a few minutes earlier in the session. Accurate discrimination was rapidly acquired. In Study 2, the choice was between signals dependent on TT or interbeat interval. Only one out of six subjects was successful. In both cases, associations between display fluctuations and respiratory activity were employed by subjects for distinguishing signal origin. The use of contingency discrimination strategies for assessing cardiovascular perception is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Leisure-time physical exercise: prevalence, attitudinal correlates, and behavioral correlates among young Europeans from 21 countries.

BACKGROUND: Increasing leisure time physical exercise is a major target of public health programs throughout the developed world, but few international comparisons of exercise habits among people from diverse cultures have been published. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of exercise among young adults from 21 European countries, to analyze associations with health beliefs and risk awareness, and to investigate relationships among exercise, other health-related behaviors, and emotional well-being. METHODS: The European Health and Behaviour Survey, a questionnaire survey of 7,302 male and 9,181 female university students ages 18-30 years from 21 countries, was analyzed. RESULTS: Age-adjusted prevalence of physical exercise in the past 2 weeks averaged 73.2% among men and 68.3% among women, but varied markedly from more than 80% to less than 60% across country samples. Beliefs in the health benefits of exercise were consistently associated with physical exercise, as was desire to lose weight. Awareness of the influence of exercise on heart disease averaged 52% among men and 54% among women, but was not strongly associated with engagement in exercise. Associations among exercise, lack of smoking, and sleep time were observed, but results for alcohol consumption were inconsistent. Social support and depression were independently associated with physical exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Physical exercise levels are highly variable across samples of relatively privileged young Europeans from different countries. Associations with other health behaviors and with emotional well-being suggest that regular physical exercise is consistent with a healthy lifestyle. Links with health beliefs are consistent despite sociocultural differences, but deficient knowledge of the health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle remains a cause for concern.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Behavioral response demands, cardiovascular reactivity, and essential hypertension.

Psychophysiologic reactions to behavioral challenges were examined in men aged 55 or less with no prior history of cardiovascular disorder. Three age-matched groups of twelve were recruited through factory screening: mild hypertensives (blood pressure in the range 175/105-145/90 persisting on retest), transient hypertensives (blood pressure above criterion on screening, falling on retest), and normotensives. Clinical examination, a laboratory rest session and period of blood pressure self-monitoring were followed by a laboratory stress session. The latter involved performance of two tasks demanding active behavioral coping (the Stroop interference task and video game) and one passive condition (a distressing movie). Mild hypertensives showed significantly greater pressor reactions (both in absolute and percentage terms) than normotensives to tasks requiring active behavioral coping, but not to the passive condition. The transient hypertension group produced heightened reactions in diastolic but not systolic pressure. Greater heart rate and pulse transit time reactions were also observed in the transient group, suggesting that exaggerated cardiac responsiveness to active challenges may be characteristic of the prehypertensive profile. No differences were recorded in electrodermal or respiratory variables, or in self-reported tension. Exaggerated pressor responses were also associated with high scores on the Hostility and Direction of Hostility questionnaire, and an absence of coronary-prone behavior. Implications for the etiology of essential hypertension are considered.

Anger↗