Reward anticipation buffers neuroendocrine and cardiovascular responses to acute psychosocial stress in healthy young adults.

Publisher: Informa Healthcare Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9617529 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1607-8888 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 10253890 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Stress Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: London : Informa Healthcare
Original Publication: [Amsterdam?] : Harwood Academic Publishers,

Anticipation, Psychological*/physiology ; Stress, Psychological*; Emotions ; Humans ; Neurosecretory Systems ; Reward ; Young Adult

Research over the last 10 years suggests that the brain's reward system plays a crucial role in stress resilience. Notably, reward processing includes both an anticipatory (cue-triggered "wanting") phase and a consummatory ("liking") phase. However, previous studies manipulated rewards via direct reward administration, which makes it difficult to isolate the buffering effect of anticipating the reward stimulus. In the current study, we designed a paradigm to manipulate participants into generating reward anticipation or not and investigated whether reward anticipation can buffer psychological, neuroendocrine, and cardiovascular responses to psychosocial stress. A sample of 78 healthy young adults underwent the Trier Social Stress Test or placebo-Trier Social Stress Test after a reward anticipation task. Results showed that reward anticipation relieved subjective stress feelings, as well as the overall cortisol secretion and the increased heart rate induced by psychosocial stress. Taken together, these findings expanded our understanding of the role the reward system plays in stress resilience, and the possible psychological mechanism of the buffering effect for future stress study was also discussed.HIGHLIGHTSReward processing includes both an anticipatory and consummatory phasesThe buffering effect of anticipating the reward stimulus requires elucidationWe examined if said anticipation buffers varied responses to psychosocial stressReward anticipation relieved subjective stress, cortisol secretion, and heart rateWe clarified the role of the reward system in stress resilience.

Keywords: Cortisol response; Heart rate; Psychosocial stress; Reward anticipation; Subjective stress level; Trier social stress test

Date Created: 20210510 Date Completed: 20220316 Latest Revision: 20220531

20240829

10.1080/10253890.2021.1923690

33970772