title: Enhanced stress response by a bilateral feet compared to a unilateral hand Cold Pressor Test.
abstract: The Cold Pressor Test (CPT) is a frequently employed laboratory stress protocol. However, with many experimental designs the application in its classic form (immersion of the dominant hand into ice-water) is problematic as unilateral stimulation may need to be avoided and/or hands are required for further measurements. Here, we describe a simple modification of the classic CPT in which both feet are immersed into ice-water and compare the evoked neuroendocrine stress response to the classic CPT in a within-subjects design. Twenty-four healthy participants were exposed to each of both CPT versions on two subsequent days in randomized order. Heart rate, blood pressure, salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol were measured at baseline and during or after CPT exposition, respectively, along with subjective ratings of pain and stress. The bilateral feet CPT induced marked increases in all measured stress parameters. Moreover, with the exception of blood pressure, autonomic and endocrine responses were enhanced compared to the classic CPT. The bilateral feet CPT thus is a valid and simple modification and may be useful when the application of the classic CPT is unfeasible or a stronger neuroendocrine stress response is of interest.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Clinical Psychophysiology , Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier , Trier , Germany.
authors.forename: Mauro F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Larra
authors.affiliation: a Division of Clinical Psychophysiology , Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier , Trier , Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Schilling
authors.affiliation: a Division of Clinical Psychophysiology , Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier , Trier , Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Röhrig
authors.affiliation: a Division of Clinical Psychophysiology , Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier , Trier , Germany.
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schächinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot; D006225:Hand; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Blood pressure; Cold Pressor Test modification; cortisol; feet; hand; heart rate; salivary alpha-amylase