title: A new look at cardiac defense: attention or emotion?
abstract: The study of cardiac defense has a long tradition in psychological research both within the cognitive approach--linked to Pavlov, Sokolov, and Graham's work on sensory reflexes--and within the motivational one--linked to the work of Cannon and subsequent researchers on the concepts of activation and stress. These two approaches have been difficult to reconcile in the past. We summarize a series of studies on cardiac defense from a different perspective, which allows integration of the traditional approaches. This new perspective emphasizes a sequential process interpretation of the cardiac defense response. Results of descriptive and parametric studies, as well as those of studies examining the physiological and psychological mechanisms underlying the response, show a complex response pattern with both accelerative and decelerative components, with both sympathetic and parasympathetic influences, and with both attentional and emotional significance. The implications of this new look at cardiac defense are discussed in relation to defensive reactions in natural settings, the brain mechanisms controlling such reactions, and their effects on health and illness.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Personalidad de Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico, Facultad de Psicología, Campus La Cartuja s/n, 18011 Granada, Spain. jvila@ugr.es
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vila
authors.forename: María Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pegalajar
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nieves Vera
authors.forename: Humbelina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Robles
authors.forename: Nieves
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: María B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Padial
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000502:physiology; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology