Esophageal hypervigilance, or the increased awareness and amplification of esophageal symptoms, is a psychological process known to drive symptom experience in individuals with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, current understanding lacks a conceptual framework with known biomarkers and relationships to other psychophysiological variables. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the relationship between esophageal hypervigilance and cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physiological variables in patients with GERD. The secondary aim involves assessing for differences in esophageal hypervigilance between patients based on physiological reflux phenotypes. Adults patients with GERD completed self-report questionnaires measuring esophageal hypervigilance, as well as illness cognitions, positive/negative affect, personality domains, self-efficacy, symptom severity and health-related quality of life. Participants engaged in a 5-minute electrocardiogram recording with heart rate variability (HRV) analyses. A subset of patients also underwent esophageal motility testing (standard of care, not study-related) and were dichotomized into Normal or Abnormal reflux groups based on test outcomes. Twenty participants completed study procedures. Esophageal hypervigilance was correlated with decreases in parasympathetic nervous system functioning, positive affect, illness acceptance, and perceived self-efficacy in managing symptoms. Further, individuals reporting hypervigilance demonstrated more negative affect, neuroticism, and beliefs of helplessness in coping with their GERD. In addition, esophageal hypervigilance did not differ based on Normal and Abnormal reflux groups. Findings demonstrate esophageal hypervigilance is associated with several cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physiological factors. Further, hypervigilance appears to be reported across individuals despite physiological reflux phenotype. These findings support the application of a biopsychosocial framework to conceptualize esophageal symptom reporting.

Creator

• Guadagnoli, Livia Anna

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-w3hv-8r87

Subject

• Clinical psychology

Language

• en

Alternate Identifier

• http://dissertations.umi.com/northwestern:15181
• etdadmin_upload_753795

Keyword

• Behavioral Medicine
• Hypervigilance
• Health Psychology
• Anxiety
• Gastroenterology

Date created

• 2020-01-01

Resource type

• Dissertation

Rights statement

• In Copyright