The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 2-hour laboratory challenge on heart rate, blood
pressure, catecholamines, and cortisol; and investigate the contribution of the physical act of speaking on
both neuroendocrine and cardiovascular measures. Using a within-subjects design, 14 subjects were tested
individually during two separate laboratory sessions. During one session, subjects engaged in two cognitively
demanding tasks for 2 hours. During the other session, subjects executed the verbal demands of the tasks
for 2 hours, but cognitive demands were absent. During both sessions, blood pressure and heart rate were
measured and arterialized blood samples were obtained for the measurement of epinephrine, norepinephrine,
and cortisol. Subjects demonstrated significantly greater increases in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood
pressure, heart rate, epinephrine, and cortisol during the cognitively challenging session than during the
control session. It is concluded that sustained elevations in cardiovascular and neuroendocrine measures
can be achieved in the laboratory, and that the effects of such tasks cannot be attributed solely to the
physical demands of speaking. Implications for the measurement of circulating catecholamines and cortisol
during laboratory studies are discussed
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