Reward anticipation buffers neuroendocrine and cardiovascular responses to acute psychosocial stress in healthy young adults

Abstract

Research over the last 10 years suggests that the brain’s reward system plays a crucial role in stress resilience. Notably, reward processing includes both an anticipatory (cue-triggered “wanting”) phase and a consummatory (“liking”) phase. However, previous studies manipulated rewards via direct reward administration, which makes it difficult to isolate the buffering effect of anticipating the reward stimulus. In the current study, we designed a paradigm to manipulate participants into generating reward anticipation or not and investigated whether reward anticipation can buffer psychological, neuroendocrine, and cardiovascular responses to psychosocial stress. A sample of 78 healthy young adults underwent the Trier Social Stress Test or placebo-Trier Social Stress Test after a reward anticipation task. Results showed that reward anticipation relieved subjective stress feelings, as well as the overall cortisol secretion and the increased heart rate induced by psychosocial stress. Taken together, these findings expanded our understanding of the role the reward system plays in stress resilience, and the possible psychological mechanism of the buffering effect for future stress study was also discussed. HIGHLIGHTS Reward processing includes both an anticipatory and consummatory phases The buffering effect of anticipating the reward stimulus requires elucidation We examined if said anticipation buffers varied responses to psychosocial stress Reward anticipation relieved subjective stress, cortisol secretion, and heart rate We clarified the role of the reward system in stress resilience