The Effects of Operational and Emotional Mental Stress on the Cardiovascular Response

This study investigates the effects of operational stress and emotional stress on the cardiovascular response. Eighteen female college students completed two stress tasks: a mirror-tracing task (which represented operational stress) and a speech-preparation task (which represented emotional stress). The intensity of the stress tasks was evaluated. The heart rate and blood pressure of the subjects were also recorded. The results indicated that the stress intensity was not significantly different between two tasks. However, in the mirror-tracing task, high frequency (HF) component of heart rate variability (HRV) and the R-R interval were significantly decreased in comparison to in the baseline. In the speech-preparation task, the R-R interval showed significant reduction and the low frequency LF/HF ratio, as well as the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, was significantly increased, in comparison to in the baseline. These results suggested that different changes of the autonomic nerve tone were induced by two stress tasks with the same subjective intensity. Furthermore, the results indicate that sympathetic and parasympathetic activities do not simply work in an antagonistic manner.