A preliminary investigation of prediction of mean arterial pressure after self-regulatory treatments

Abstract

This study investigated the ability of pretreatment variables from three different domains (social-demographic, psychological, and psychophysiological) to predict posttreatment mean arterial pressure (MAP) for 59 unmedicated males with mild hypertension who were participating in a cross-cultural (USA-USSR) comparison of autogenic training and thermal biofeedback to a self-relaxation control. The overall multiple regression equation consisted of two variables and indicated that higher diastolic blood pressures during a cold pressor task were predictive of greater MAP reductions while higher scores on the Irritability subscale of the Buss-Durkee Hostility Scale were predictive of less MAP reductions. Suggestions for future research in this area are provided.

A provisional model to predict blood pressure response to biofeedback-assisted relaxation

“…Specifically, the largest treatment effects have been associated with patient characteristics indicative of chronic exaggerated response to psychological stress (Cottier, Shapiro, & Julius, 1984;McGrady, Utz, Woerner, Bernal,& Higgins, 1986). In a recent study, Blanchard, Gordon, Wittrock, McCaffrey, and McCoy (1991) tested social, demographic, and psychophysiological variables in an attempt to predict posttreatment mean arterial pressure (MAP) in 59 unmedicated male subjeets. Subjects with higher diastolic blood pressures during the cold pressor task exhibited greater mean arterial pressure reductions at post-treatment.…”