Cumulative trauma exposure and cardiac autonomic stress reactivity in healthy adults.

Background

Exposure to traumatic events has been linked to alterations in autonomic stress regulation. While research has primarily focused on clinical populations, less is known about the physiological correlates of cumulative trauma exposure in non-clinical samples.

Objective

The present study investigated whether cumulative lifetime exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) is associated with altered cardiovascular stress reactivity in healthy individuals.

Methods

Sixty-one participants without indications of PTSD completed a standardised speech task, while heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure and additional hemodynamic indices were continuously recorded.

Results

Higher cumulative trauma exposure was associated with a divergent autonomic response pattern during stress anticipation. Blunted cardiac vagal reactivity (RMSSD) was accompanied by enhanced reactivity in overall autonomic variability (SDNN) and LF-HRV. No associations were found for blood pressure or any other hemodynamic outcome.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that cumulative trauma exposure may be associated with altered cardiac autonomic responding during stress anticipation even in the absence of psychopathology. These results highlight the potential utility of subclinical physiological assessment for detecting stress-system alterations in trauma-exposed individuals.