1
|
Nieft U, Schlütz M, Schmidt B. Increasing handgrip strength via post-hypnotic suggestions with lasting effects. Sci Rep 2024; 14:23344. [PMID: 39402088 PMCID: PMC11473724 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73117-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 10/17/2024] Open
Abstract
In our study, we suggested participants to feel strong during hypnosis and tested if that affected their handgrip strength. Handgrip strength is measured via a hand dynamometer and indicates muscle strength and participants' general medical condition. In addition, we obtained subjective ratings of strength via a visual analogue scale. We developed a hypnosis intervention to increase strength and tied the feeling of strength to a post-hypnotic power anchor. Participants could activate this power anchor afterwards to feel strong again. We also had a randomized control group that read Arnold Schwarzenegger's autobiography instead of hypnosis. We tested the effect of the post-hypnotic power anchor on two experimental sessions separated by one week. Our data show that participants in the hypnosis group felt significantly stronger when they activated their post-hypnotic power anchor compared to their own baseline, both in the first and second experimental session. In addition, participants in the hypnosis group showed a significant increase in objective handgrip strength compared to their own baseline one week after the hypnosis session. We conclude that our hypnosis intervention primarily improved strength perception and secondary objective handgrip strength. Our intervention can help patients to improve their medical condition and athletes to improve their sport performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Nieft
- Institute for Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marleen Schlütz
- Institute for Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Stoystraße 3, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Barbara Schmidt
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Stoystraße 3, 07743, Jena, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Marheinecke R, Blasberg J, Heilmann K, Imrie H, Wesarg-Menzel C, Engert V. Measuring empathic stress - A systematic review of methodology and practical considerations for future research. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 171:107216. [PMID: 39418692 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2024] [Revised: 10/07/2024] [Accepted: 10/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/19/2024]
Abstract
Aside from stressors that each of us experience directly, we also share the stress of the people around us. Such empathic stress exists on psychological and physiological levels, including subjective, sympathetic, parasympathetic and endocrine activation. The objective of this review is to offer an overview of methodology over the past fifteen years of empathic stress research and derive practical considerations for future research endeavors in the field. We used a keyword search strategy in the databases Web of Science, PsycInfo and PubMed to find empathic stress studies published until December 2023, and included 17 studies into our review. The reviewed laboratory studies provide initial yet consistent evidence for the existence of empathic stress across different populations, in intimate and stranger dyads, with direct and virtual contact, across multiple levels of the stress system, and based on diverse statistical analysis methods. We discuss all findings and derive practical considerations for future empathic stress research. The diversity of methods established provides a solid foundation upon which future studies can expand.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Marheinecke
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Stoystraße 3, Jena 07743, Germany.
| | - Jost Blasberg
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Stoystraße 3, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Katja Heilmann
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Stoystraße 3, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Hazel Imrie
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Stoystraße 3, Jena 07743, Germany; School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Christiane Wesarg-Menzel
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Stoystraße 3, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Veronika Engert
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Stoystraße 3, Jena 07743, Germany; Center for Intervention and Research on adaptive and maladaptive brain Circuits underlying mental health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Klimes-Dougan B, Wiglesworth A, Başgöze Z, Cullen KR. Seeing adolescents grow from many angles using a multilevel approach: A tribute to the contributions of Dante Cicchetti to the field of developmental psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-13. [PMID: 39363720 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424001123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2024]
Abstract
Dante Cicchetti propelled forward the field of developmental psychopathology by advancing this framework and championing new methods, including emphasizing the central role that multilevel analysis holds for explicating pathways of risk and resilience. His work continues to change the face of existing science. It has also paved the way for the formation of new projects, like the Research Domain Criteria initiative. This paper uses our laboratory's work on multilevel approaches to studying adolescent depression, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors to shine a spotlight on Dr Cicchetti's contributions. In addition, we review recent developments, ongoing challenges, and promising future directions within developmental psychopathology as we endeavor to carry on the tradition of growth in the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zeynep Başgöze
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kathryn R Cullen
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Seizer L. Anticipated stress predicts the cortisol awakening response: An intensive longitudinal pilot study. Biol Psychol 2024; 192:108852. [PMID: 39102975 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
The cortisol awakening response (CAR) has been hypothesized to prepare the body for anticipated demands of the upcoming day. This pilot study investigates the influence of anticipated stress on the upcoming day on the CAR, using an intensive longitudinal design with ecological momentary assessments. Over a 30-day period, three healthy participants collected saliva samples each morning at three time points after awakening to measure cortisol levels and completed a questionnaire each evening on the anticipated stress for the following day. Additionally, they wore a smart headband to objectively determine the time point of awakening. There was high variability in the CAR magnitude within participants over time. A multi-level model was estimated to investigate the influence of anticipated stress on the CAR. Results indicated that anticipated stress is predictive of the CAR on the following morning, with higher anticipated stress being associated with increased cortisol levels at the post-awakening time points. These findings underscore the role of stress anticipation in modulating the CAR and highlight the importance of considering within-person variation and temporally lagged effects in biopsychological research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Seizer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Yin Y, Tong J, Huang J, Tian B, Chen S, Tan S, Wang Z, Tong Y, Fan F, Kochunov P, Hong LE, Tan Y. Suicidality, perceived chronic stress, and stress-induced cortisol changes of individuals with schizophrenia. Stress Health 2024:e3482. [PMID: 39315699 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 08/18/2024] [Accepted: 09/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
The associations of suicidality with stress are poorly studied in schizophrenia. The study aimed to determine whether suicidality was correlated with perceived chronic stress and the cortisol fluctuations under stress tasks in schizophrenia. High suicidality was defined as a lifetime history of suicide attempts or suicidal ideation in the past 2 weeks. Individuals with schizophrenia and high suicidality (SZ-HS, n = 59), with low suicidality (SZ-LS, n = 207), and healthy controls (HC, n = 196) finished the Perceived Stress Scale. Then, they participated in an experiment that induced stress using the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task and the Mirror Tracing Persistence Task. Negative affect was measured at baseline and after finishing each task. The salivary cortisol was collected before-, after 20 min, and after 40 min of the tasks. SZ-HS had elevated perceived stress than SZ-LS and HC. Mixed effect models showed that stress tasks induced cortisol changes in all groups; cortisol of SZ-LS was reduced more than HC, but SZ-HS and SZ-LS did not differ in cortisol fluctuations. SZ-HS and SZ-LS experienced similar negative affect changes during tasks and the difference in withdrawal rates was nonsignificant. SZ-HS had an increased error rate than SZ-LS. In conclusion, suicidality was correlated with high-level perceived stress but did not result in differences in cortisol reactivities under stress tasks. It suggests the inconsistency between appraisal of stress and biological stress system disturbance among SZ-HS compared to SZ-LS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yin
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
- WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jinghui Tong
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Junchao Huang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Baopeng Tian
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Song Chen
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shuping Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiren Wang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yongsheng Tong
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Fengmei Fan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - L Elliot Hong
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yunlong Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
McAfee CA, Josephs RA, DiVita A, Telch MJ, Champagne FA. CO 2 challenge-evoked hormonal changes predicting TSST changes in cortisol and subjective distress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 171:107187. [PMID: 39362036 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 10/05/2024]
Abstract
The importance of stressor response in relation to the development of psychopathology has been recognized for decades, yet the relationship is not fully understood. The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is an established conditioned stressor and frequently used to assess cortisol response to acute stress in different psychopathologies. The 35 % CO2 Challenge is a biological stressor and has mostly been utilized to assess subjective responses in anxiety related disorders. In the current study (N=189), we assessed the hormonal effects (cortisol, testosterone) and subjective distress (stress, anxiety, and fear) of the 35 % CO2 Challenge, and several days later, assessed the hormonal and subjective distress effects of the TSST in a mixed-sex, college-aged sample, to test for predictive effects of the 35 % CO2 Challenge on TSST-evoked outcomes. No testosterone by cortisol interaction effects were found in females. In males, the 35 % CO2 Challenge-evoked interaction of testosterone and cortisol predicted TSST-evoked subjective stress, anxiety, and fear, with higher concentrations of testosterone predicting subjective distress, but only at (relatively) low concentrations of cortisol (one standard deviation below mean concentrations). This result - in line with the dual-hormone hypothesis - suggests the 35 % CO2 Challenge could be utilized in a wider array of laboratory stress response research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ciara A McAfee
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System, Austin, TX, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Pfeifer LS, Heyers K, Wolf OT, Stockhorst U, Güntürkün O, Merz CJ, Ocklenburg S. Using the online version of the Trier Social Stress Test to investigate the effect of acute stress on functional lateralization. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20826. [PMID: 39242764 PMCID: PMC11379872 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71668-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024] Open
Abstract
How stress affects functional hemispheric asymmetries is relevant because stress represents a risk factor for the development of mental disorders and various mental disorders are associated with atypical lateralization. Using three lateralization tasks, we investigated whether functional hemispheric asymmetries in the form of hemispheric dominance for language (verbal dichotic listening task), emotion processing (emotional dichotic listening task), and visuo-spatial attention (line bisection task) were affected by acute stress in healthy adults. One hundred twenty right-handed men and women performed these lateralization tasks in randomized order after exposure to a mild online stressor (i.e., an online variant of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), TSST-OL) and a non-stressful online control task (friendly TSST-OL, fTSST-OL) in a within-subjects design. Importantly, the verbal and the emotional dichotic listening tasks were presented online whereas the line bisection task was completed in paper-pencil form. During these tasks, we found the expected hemispheric asymmetries, indicating that online versions of both the verbal and the emotional dichotic listening task can be used to measure functional hemispheric asymmetries in language and emotion processing remotely. Even though subjective and physiological markers confirmed the success of the online stress manipulation, replicating previous studies, we found no stress-induced effect on functional hemispheric asymmetries. Thus, in healthy participants, functional hemispheric asymmetries do not seem to change flexibly in response to acute stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lena Sophie Pfeifer
- Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Katrin Heyers
- Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Experimental Psychology II and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology, School of Human Sciences, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ursula Stockhorst
- Experimental Psychology II and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology, School of Human Sciences, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Christian J Merz
- Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Department of Psychology, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Santos-Carrasco D, De la Casa LG. Stressing out! Effects of acute stress on prepulse inhibition and working memory. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14599. [PMID: 38691020 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex serves as a pre-cognitive marker of sensorimotor gating, and its deficit may predict cognitive impairments. Startle reflex is modulated by many factors. Among them, stress has been a topic of interest, but its effects on both pre-cognitive and cognitive variables continue to yield divergent results. This study aims to analyze the effect of acute stress on PPI of the startle reflex and cognitive function (working memory, attention, inhibition, and verbal fluency). Participants were exposed to the MAST stress induction protocol or a stress-neutral task: stress group (n = 54) or control group (n = 54). Following stress induction, participants' startle responses were recorded, and cognition was assessed. The results revealed that participants in the stress group exhibited greater startle magnitude, lower PPI, and lower scores in working memory tests compared with the control group. Additionally, a correlation was found between working memory and PPI across all the participants, independent of stress group. These findings support the notion that after stress, both greater startle magnitude and diminished PPI could play an adaptive role by allowing for increased processing of stimuli potentially dangerous and stress-related. Similarly, our results lend support to the hypothesis that lower PPI may be predictive of cognitive impairment. Considering the impact of stress on both pre-cognitive (PPI) and cognitive (working memory) variables, we discuss the possibility that the effect of stress on PPI occurs through motivational priming and emphasize the relevance of considering stress in both basic and translational science.
Collapse
|
9
|
Heilmann K, Müller TH, Walter M, Engert V. Empathic stress is decreased by prior stressor experience and increased in a position of power. Horm Behav 2024; 165:105617. [PMID: 39190970 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
The observation of a stressed individual can trigger a stress response in a passive observer. Little is known about the mechanisms of this so-termed empathic stress, including the observer's empathic involvement with the stressful situation. In 108 opposite-sex stranger dyads, we expected to increase the observer's empathic involvement with a stressed target performing a standardized laboratory stressor (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST; Kirschbaum et al., 1993) by exposing observers themselves to the TSST one week earlier. Conversely, we intended to decrease empathic involvement by granting observers a powerful position over the targets (by asking them to evaluate the targets' TSST performance and allegedly decide on their financial compensation). A control group without any manipulation was also included. In the preregistered data analysis, two types of empathic stress were investigated: vicarious stress, which evolves irrespective of the target's stress response, and stress resonance, which is proportional to the target's stress response. Irrespective of manipulation, observers exhibited vicarious stress in subjective and high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), and synchronized with the targets' stress reactivity in cortisol release. Prior TSST experience unexpectedly decreased observers' self-reported empathy and vicarious cortisol stress reactivity. The power manipulation, conversely, led to stronger observer vicarious stress in overall heart rate and HF-HRV reactivity. Based on Wondra and Ellsworth's (2015) appraisal theory, we propose that, due to their prior stressor exposure, observers habituated to said stressor, and consequently changed their evaluation of the target's stressful situation. In contrast, observers in the powerful position may have felt responsible for the targets, triggering a stronger vicarious stressful experience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Heilmann
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Stoystr. 3, 07740 Jena, Germany; Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Philosophenweg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany.
| | - Theresa Helene Müller
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Stoystr. 3, 07740 Jena, Germany
| | - Martin Walter
- Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Philosophenweg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), parter site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg; Center for Intervention and Research in adaptive and maladaptive brain Circuits underlying mental health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Veronika Engert
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Stoystr. 3, 07740 Jena, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), parter site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg; Center for Intervention and Research in adaptive and maladaptive brain Circuits underlying mental health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Koskinen E, Henttonen P, Harjunen V, Krusemark E, Piispanen M, Voutilainen L, Wuolio M, Peräkylä A. Putting self at stake by telling a story: Storyteller's narcissistic traits modulate physiological emotional reactions to recipient's disengagement. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302703. [PMID: 39190690 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Telling a story to a disengaged recipient induces stress and threatens positive self-image. In this study, we investigated whether storytellers with overly positive and fragile self-images (e.g., individuals with grandiose and vulnerable narcissism) would show heightened behavioral, emotional, and psychophysiological reactivity to recipient disengagement.Building on Bavelas, Coates, and Johnson [1] we conducted a conversational experiment instructing the participants to tell about a "close call" experience to a previously unknown co-participant. We modified the co-participant's level of interactional engagement by asking them either to listen to the story carefully or to simultaneously carry out a counting task that distracted them from the content of the story. We found that the distraction condition was unrelated to the storytellers' narration performance, but a significant positive association was found between the story-recipients' observed lack of affiliation and the tellers' narration performance. The distraction of recipients was also associated with increased self-reported arousal in the tellers, indicating disengagement-induced stress in the tellers. Moreover, tellers higher in grandiose narcissism reacted with higher skin conductance response to disengagement, and vulnerable narcissism was associated with higher heart rate during narration in general. Our experiment thus showed that grandiose narcissists are emotionally sensitive to their co-participants' disengagement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmi Koskinen
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pentti Henttonen
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ville Harjunen
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Matias Piispanen
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Liisa Voutilainen
- School of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Mariel Wuolio
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anssi Peräkylä
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Niizato T, Nishiyama Y, Oka Y, Aung PT, Nomura S. Toward stressor-free stress estimation: The integrated information theory explains the information dynamics of stress. iScience 2024; 27:110583. [PMID: 39211542 PMCID: PMC11357877 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent neurological studies have revealed several detailed stress mechanisms. However, the latent variables behind stress study still interpret stress responses as difficult. Therefore, we propose a stressor-free method of stress evaluation using Integrated Information Theory (IIT) to address these issues. We conducted experiments inducing acute stress responses against tasks with three levels of difficulty, easy, moderate, and difficult, to verify the IIT in stress study. The moderate condition was related to active coping with stress. By contrast, the easy and difficult conditions are related to passive stress coping. Especially, the easy condition seemed to cause boredom. Our results revealed that the degree of entangled system fluctuation was associated with the subjective ratings for the tasks. Interestingly, our method could also evaluate stress as a state of boredom that had not received much research attention. Our method can be an alternative stress estimation method to overcome the latent variable problem.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Niizato
- Department of Intelligent Interaction Technologies, Institute of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yuta Nishiyama
- Department of Information and Management Systems Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yuta Oka
- Department of Information and Management Systems Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Poe Thinzar Aung
- Department of Information and Management Systems Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Shusaku Nomura
- Department of Information and Management Systems Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Jenkins BN, Martin LT, Helen Lee HY, Hunter JF, Acevedo AM, Pressman SD. Affect variability and cortisol in context: The moderating roles of mean affect and stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 166:107064. [PMID: 38713929 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Positive and negative affect have been shown to have implications for hormones like cortisol but how moment to moment changes in affect (i.e., affect variability) influence cortisol secretion is less well understood. Additionally, context characteristics such as mean affect and stress may influence the association between affect variability and cortisol output. In the current study, we examined affect, stress, and cortisol data from 113 participants (age range = 25-63, M = 35.63, SD = 11.34; 29% male; 42% White/Caucasian, 37% Asian or Pacific Islander, 13% Hispanic/Latino, 4% Black/African American, 1% Native American, Eskimo, or Aleut, 4% selected "other" for their race/ethnicity). Participants completed ecological momentary assessments assessing positive and negative affect and stress four times per day for five days and provided saliva samples at each time point. Saliva was assayed for cortisol, and area under the curve with respect to ground was computed. In a three-way interaction, both positive affect mean level and stress moderated the association between positive affect variability and cortisol (b = -1.55, t(100) = -3.29, SE = 0.47, p <.01, β = -4.05). When breaking down this three-way interaction, in the context of low stress and high mean positive affect, variability was positively related to total cortisol output. In contrast, in the context of high stress and high mean positive affect, variability was negatively related to total cortisol output. While greater positive affect variability is generally worse for health-relevant outcomes (as prior research has shown and as we show here at low levels of stress), at high levels of stress, fluctuation in affect may be adaptive. For someone experiencing a high stress week, having fluctuations in positive affect may mean that they are adaptively changing to meet their environmental needs especially when they typically report high mean positive affect levels. There were no associations between negative affect variability and cortisol secretion nor did mean negative affect or stress play a moderating role for negative affect variability. This study provides evidence that positive affect variability's association with cortisol secretion throughout the day may vary based on stress and mean positive affect levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brooke N Jenkins
- Chapman University, USA; University of California, Irvine, USA; Center on Stress and Health, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Tang X, Hu W, Zhao X, Liu Y, Ren Y, Tang Z, Yang J. The role of personal, relational, and collective self-esteem in predicting acute salivary cortisol response and perceived stress. Appl Psychol Health Well Being 2024; 16:1386-1402. [PMID: 38362823 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Personal self-esteem (PSE) has been well recognized as a buffer against stress; however, the effects of other types of self-esteem, such as relational self-esteem (RSE) and collective self-esteem (CSE), on stress have not been adequately explored. This study investigated the roles of PSE, RSE, and CSE in reducing stress response. The Rosenberg, Relational, and Collective Self-Esteem Scales were adopted to assess PSE, RSE, and CSE, respectively. Participants underwent an acute social stress paradigm, and their acute stress response was assessed using subjective stress reports and salivary cortisol levels. Chronic stress level was estimated using the Perceived Stress Scale and hair cortisol concentration. The results showed that PSE was negatively correlated with salivary cortisol response during acute social stress; however, no significant associations were found between any type of self-esteem and subjective stress reports. For chronic stress, all types of self-esteem were negatively associated with perceived stress level, but not with hair cortisol concentration. Further hierarchical regression analyses suggested that only PSE negatively predicted acute salivary cortisol response and perceived stress level. Overall, the findings suggest the essential role of PSE in predicting acute salivary cortisol responses and perceived stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinli Tang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Weiyu Hu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhao
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yadong Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yipeng Ren
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zihan Tang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Juan Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Finseth TT, Smith B, Van Steenis AL, Glahn DC, Johnson M, Ruttle P, Shirtcliff BA, Shirtcliff EA. When virtual reality becomes psychoneuroendocrine reality: A stress(or) review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 166:107061. [PMID: 38701607 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
This review article was awarded the Dirk Hellhammer award from ISPNE in 2023. It explores the dynamic relationship between stressors and stress from a historical view as well as a vision towards the future of stress research via virtual reality (VR). We introduce the concept of a "syncytium," a permeable boundary that blurs the distinction between stress and stressor, in order to understand why the field of stress biology continues to inadequately measure stress alone as a proxy for the force of external stressors. Using Virtual Reality (VR) as an illustrative example to explicate the black box of stressors, we examine the distinction between 'immersion' and 'presence' as analogous terms for stressor and stress, respectively. We argue that the conventional psychological approaches to stress measurement and appraisal theory unfortunately fall short in quantifying the force of the stressor, leading to reverse causality fallacies. Further, the concept of affordances is introduced as an ecological or holistic tool to measure and design a stressor's force, bridging the gap between the external environment and an individual's physiological response to stress. Affordances also serve to ameliorate shortcomings in stress appraisal by integrating ecological interdependencies. By combining VR and psychobiological measures, this paper aims to unravel the complexity of the stressor-stress syncytium, highlighting the necessity of assessing both the internal and external facets to gain a holistic understanding of stress physiology and shift away from reverse causality reasoning. We find that the utility of VR extends beyond presence to include affordance-based measures of immersion, which can effectively model stressor force. Future research should prioritize the development of tools that can measure both immersion and presence, thereby providing a more comprehensive understanding of how external stressors interact with individual psychological states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brandon Smith
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA
| | | | - David C Glahn
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - Megan Johnson
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA
| | - Paula Ruttle
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Morava A, Dillon K, Sui W, Alushaj E, Prapavessis H. The effects of acute exercise on stress reactivity assessed via a multidimensional approach: a systematic review. J Behav Med 2024; 47:545-565. [PMID: 38468106 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-024-00470-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Psychological stress is associated with numerous deleterious health effects. Accumulating evidence suggests acute exercise reduces stress reactivity. As stressors activate a wide array of psychological and physiological systems it is imperative stress responses are examined through a multidimensional lens. Moreover, it seems prudent to consider whether stress responses are influenced by exercise intervention characteristics such as modality, duration, intensity, timing, as well as participant fitness/physical activity levels. The current review therefore examined the role of acute exercise on stress reactivity through a multidimensional approach, as well as whether exercise intervention characteristics and participant fitness/physical activity levels may moderate these effects. Stress reactivity was assessed via heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol, catecholamines, and self-report. A systematic search following PRISMA guidelines of five databases was updated in November 2022. Reviewed studies met the following criteria: English language, participants aged ≥ 18, use of acute exercise, use of a validated stress-inducing task, and assessment(s) of stress reactivity. Thirty-one studies (1386 participants) were included. Acute exercise resulted in reliable reductions to blood pressure and cortisol. Acute exercise yielded mostly negligible effects on heart rate reactivity and negligible effects on self-report measures. As for exercise intervention characteristics, intensity-dependent effects were present, such that higher intensities yielded larger reductions to reactivity measures, while limited evidence was present for duration, modality, and timing-dependent effects. Regarding participant fitness/physical activity levels, the effects on stress reactivity were mixed. Future work should standardize the definitions and assessment time points of stress reactivity, as well as investigate the interaction between physiological and psychological stress responses in real-world contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anisa Morava
- School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Kirsten Dillon
- School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Wuyou Sui
- School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Erind Alushaj
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Svensson R, Malon M, Stensballe LG, Thorsen SU, Svensson J. The effect of stress on the antibody response after vaccination in children aged 0-18 years: A systematic review. Scand J Immunol 2024; 100:e13394. [PMID: 38924129 DOI: 10.1111/sji.13394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Stress has been associated with less effective vaccine responses in adults. This review aims to investigate the evidence for a similar association in children. A systematic review search was conducted in January 2021 in three databases: Medline, Embase and PsycInfo. An updated search of the Medline database was systematically conducted until the most recent update on September 25th, 2023, to ensure the inclusion of the most current research available. Keywords related to stress, vaccines and children were used, and a total of 7263 (+1528) studies were screened by two independent investigators. Six studies met the inclusion criteria for data extraction and analysis. For quality assessment of the studies, the risk of bias in non-randomized studies-of interventions (ROBINS-I) tool was applied. Most of the studies suggest a negative role of stress on vaccine responses. However, the scarcity of studies, lack of confirmatory studies, risk of bias and heterogeneity according to age, type of vaccine, measures of stress and vaccine responses prevent a clear conclusion. Future studies should emphasize the use of as strict study designs as possible, including well-defined stress metrics and thorough examination of both pre- and post-vaccination responses. Systematic review registration: Prospero CRD42021230490.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rikke Svensson
- The Child and Adolescent Clinic 4072, The Danish National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michelle Malon
- The Child and Adolescent Clinic 4072, The Danish National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lone G Stensballe
- The Child and Adolescent Clinic 4072, The Danish National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Steffen U Thorsen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, The Danish National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jannet Svensson
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Marheinecke R, Winter AC, Strauss B, Engert V. Specific challenges of researching stress in the context of quiet political repression. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2024; 19:100248. [PMID: 39055390 PMCID: PMC11269800 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2024.100248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Political repression beneath the threshold of criminal prosecution is a phenomenon of past and present, predominantly authoritarian, regimes. This so-called quiet repression includes measures such as the limitation of freedom of speech, surveillance of (perceived) political opponents, or the spreading of rumors to socially isolate targets. Such experiences of chronic stress show significant psychological and physiological health consequences in affected individuals. However, societal awareness of quiet repression measures remains limited, hindering victims' access to support and complicating healthcare interventions. In the current paper, we present the design of a study conducted with individuals who endured quiet repression measures in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), a socialist state closely aligned with the former Soviet Union. We discuss the challenges encountered over the course of the study, and present the solutions found. Although every study population has their unique challenges and needs, we wish to inform future sensitive research within the realm of quiet political repression. Given the limited understanding of the phenomenon, there is a pressing need for further investigation aiming to improve acceptance and care for past and future victims.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Marheinecke
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Ann-Christin Winter
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Justus-Liebig University, Gießen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Strauss
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Veronika Engert
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Intervention and Research on Adaptive and Maladaptive Brain Circuits Underlying Mental Health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Gallistl M, Linz R, Puhlmann LMC, Singer T, Engert V. Evidence for differential associations of distinct trait mindfulness facets with acute and chronic stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 166:107051. [PMID: 38678734 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Stress and stress-associated disease are considered the health epidemic of the 21st century. Interestingly, despite experiencing similar amounts of stress than those falling ill, some individuals are protected against the "wear and tear of daily life". Based on the notion that mindfulness training strengthens stress resilience, we explored whether facets of trait mindfulness, prior to training intervention, are linked to acute psychosocial stress reactivity and chronic stress load. To assess different mindfulness facets, over 130 participants completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). For acute stress induction, a standardized psychosocial stress test was conducted. Subjective stress, sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, and levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis end hormone cortisol were assessed repeatedly. Additionally, levels of hair cortisol and cortisone as indices of the long-term physiological stress load were collected. We found differential associations of different facets of mindfulness with subjective stress, cortisol, and hair cortisone levels. Specifically, the trait mindfulness facets FMI "Acceptance" and the ability to put one's inner experience into words (FFMQ "Describing") were associated with lower acute subjective and cortisol stress reactivity. Contrarily, monitoring-related trait mindfulness facets (FFMQ "Acting with Awareness" and "Observing") were associated with higher acute cortisol and marginally higher long-term cortisone release. Our results suggest granularity of the mindfulness construct. In accordance with the "Monitor and Acceptance Theory", especially acceptance-related traits buffered against stress, while monitoring-related traits seemed to be maladaptive in the context of stress. The current results give valuable guidance for the conceptualization of mindfulness-based interventions geared towards stress reduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Gallistl
- Independent Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Roman Linz
- Independent Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lara M C Puhlmann
- Independent Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Veronika Engert
- Independent Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Eisner L, Fischer S, Juster RP, Hässler T. The impact of marriage equality campaigns on stress: Did a Swiss public vote get under the skin? Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2400582121. [PMID: 39042695 PMCID: PMC11295070 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2400582121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) individuals encounter persistent structural inequalities and discrimination that can lead to detrimental psychological and physiological health outcomes. Amid evolving legal landscapes, little attention has been directed toward understanding the physiological health effects of societal shifts on these communities. This study aims to explore the impact of a national marriage equality vote and associated debates on psychological and biological stress among LGBTIQ+ individuals and cisgender, heterosexual, endosex individuals (termed cis-heterosexual) in Switzerland. We gathered longitudinal survey and biological data collected in hair samples among LGBTIQ+ and cis-heterosexual individuals before, during, and after the 2021 national vote (survey data: NT1T2 = 954; NT2T3 = 880; biological data: NT1T2 = 393; NT2T3 = 354). Preregistered analyses reveal a notable increase in biological stress levels (i.e., cortisol and cortisone levels), but not perceived stress, among both LGBTIQ+ as well as cis-heterosexual individuals who were close to them during the campaign. Results further point out the negative impacts of the campaign against marriage equality (i.e., no-campaign) on LGBTIQ+ individuals' biological stress levels as well as on those of their allies. These effects were, however, moderated by exposure to the campaign for marriage equality (i.e., yes-campaign), indicating the powerful buffering effects of the yes-campaign on the impact of discrimination on individuals' health. However, these positive effects appear to come at a cost, potentially impacting the well-being of individuals engaged in advocating for the yes-campaign. This research underscores the lasting impact of political campaigns on individuals' health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Léïla Eisner
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich8050, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08540
| | - Susanne Fischer
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich8050, Switzerland
| | - Robert-Paul Juster
- Department of Psychiatry & Addiction, University of Montreal, Montréal, QuébecH3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Tabea Hässler
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich8050, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Allegretta RA, Rovelli K, Balconi M. The Role of Emotion Regulation and Awareness in Psychosocial Stress: An EEG-Psychometric Correlational Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:1491. [PMID: 39120194 PMCID: PMC11312088 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12151491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In stressful situations, to overcome unpleasant emotions, individuals try to manage stress through emotion regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal, interoception, and mindfulness. METHOD 26 healthy adults underwent a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (named the Social Stress Test, SST) while their electrophysiological (EEG) activity was monitored. Participants also completed self-report questionnaires prior to this, including the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), Emotional Regulation of Others and Self (EROS), and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Three brain regions of interest (ROIs) were considered in the EEG data processing: frontal, temporo-central, and parieto-occipital. Correlational analyses were performed between psychometric scales and EEG band power spectral values for each ROI. RESULTS The results showed positive correlations between interoceptive awareness, mindfulness, and high-frequency EEG bands (beta, alpha, gamma) over frontal ROI, indicating enhanced cognitive processing and emotional regulation. Conversely, emotion regulation and empathy measures correlated positively with low-frequency EEG bands (delta, theta), associated with improved social cognition and top-down regulatory processes. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that EEG correlations of the stress response are connected to emotion regulation mechanisms, emphasizing the importance of body state awareness in managing stress and emotions for overall well-being and quality of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta A. Allegretta
- International Research Center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (K.R.); (M.B.)
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Katia Rovelli
- International Research Center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (K.R.); (M.B.)
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Balconi
- International Research Center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (K.R.); (M.B.)
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Garces-Arilla S, Fidalgo C, Mendez-Lopez M, Osma J, Peiro T, Salvador A, Hidalgo V. Female students' personality and stress response to an academic examination. ANXIETY, STRESS, AND COPING 2024; 37:460-472. [PMID: 37771236 DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2023.2264208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women are vulnerable to stress-related disorders. Examinations are a source of stress, triggering emotional, cognitive, and hormonal responses. We examined women's psychological and hormonal stress responses and academic performance according to personality during a real-life examination. METHODS Female students (N = 66) were divided into two groups based on hierarchical cluster analysis: one cluster characterized by high neuroticism and moderate extraversion (HN-ME; n = 42) and the other by low neuroticism and high extraversion (LN-HE; n = 24). Academic performance, perceived stress, and emotional dysregulation were analyzed. State anxiety, affect, and cortisol release were measured before and on the examination day. RESULTS The HN-ME cluster was high in perceived stress, emotional dysregulation, and negative affect. This cluster also had higher state anxiety levels two days before and shortly after the examination compared to the LN-HE cluster. Students' cortisol levels were higher on the examination day, and there was a marginal significance of the Cluster factor in the cortisol release regardless of the day of measurement. CONCLUSIONS Women with high neuroticism and moderate extraversion may be more vulnerable to psychological stress in academic settings but similar to other women in their cortisol response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Garces-Arilla
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, Teruel, Spain
| | - Camino Fidalgo
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, Teruel, Spain
| | - Magdalena Mendez-Lopez
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, Teruel, Spain
| | - Jorge Osma
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, Teruel, Spain
| | - Teresa Peiro
- Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vanesa Hidalgo
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, Teruel, Spain
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Hogenelst K, Özsezen S, Kleemann R, Verschuren L, Stuldreher I, Bottenheft C, van Erp J, Brouwer AM. Seven robust and easy to obtain biomarkers to measure acute stress. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 38:100789. [PMID: 38799794 PMCID: PMC11126813 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
With the purpose of identifying a sensitive, robust, and easy-to-measure set of biomarkers to assess stress reactivity, we here study a large set of relatively easy to obtain markers reflecting subjective, autonomic nervous system (ANS), endocrine, and inflammatory responses to acute social stress (n = 101). A subset of the participants was exposed to another social stressor the next day (n = 48) while being measured in the same way. Acute social stress was induced following standardized procedures. The markers investigated were self-reported positive and negative affect, heart rate, electrodermal activity, salivary cortisol, and ten inflammatory markers both in capillary plasma and salivary samples, including IL-22 which has not been studied in response to acute stress in humans before. Robust effects (significant effect in the same direction for both days) were found for self-reported negative affect, heart rate, electrodermal activity, plasma IL-5, plasma IL-22, salivary IL-8 and salivary IL-10. Of these seven markers, the participants' IL-22 responses on the first day were positively correlated to those on the second day. We found no correlations between salivary and capillary plasma stress responses for any of the ten cytokines and somewhat unexpectedly, cytokine responses in saliva seemed more pronounced and more in line with previous literature than cytokines in capillary plasma. In sum, seven robust and easy to obtain biomarkers to measure acute stress response were identified and should be used in future stress research to detect and examine stress reactivity. This includes IL-22 in plasma as a promising novel marker.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Koen Hogenelst
- Department of Human Performance, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Soesterberg, the Netherlands
| | - Serdar Özsezen
- Department of Microbiology and Systems Biology, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Robert Kleemann
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Lars Verschuren
- Department of Microbiology and Systems Biology, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ivo Stuldreher
- Department of Human Performance, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Soesterberg, the Netherlands
| | - Charelle Bottenheft
- Department of Human Performance, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Soesterberg, the Netherlands
| | - Jan van Erp
- Department of Human Machine Teaming, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Soesterberg, the Netherlands
- Twente University, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Anne-Marie Brouwer
- Department of Human Performance, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Soesterberg, the Netherlands
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Radboud University/Donders Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Thomas TA, Schmid AM, Kessling A, Wolf OT, Brand M, Steins-Loeber S, Müller A. Stress and compulsive buying-shopping disorder: A scoping review. Compr Psychiatry 2024; 132:152482. [PMID: 38603938 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Theoretical frameworks of behavioral addictions mostly acknowledge the role of stress in the development and maintenance of these disorders, models of compulsive buying-shopping disorder (CBSD) however rarely incorporated stress. The association between stress and CBSD has not been reviewed yet. METHODS A scoping review was conducted to evaluate empirical results on the association between stress and CBSD. A comprehensive search string was employed in three databases. RESULTS 16 studies were included. Correlative studies suggested significant correlations between general perceived stress and CBSD symptom severity. Studies involving mean comparisons found higher general perceived stress levels in persons with problematic buying-shopping behavior/CBSD compared to control participants (large effects). Mixed results were found in studies involving regression/structural equation models and ecological momentary assessments. One study with a stress/negative mood induction observed more CBSD symptoms in a high stress group compared to a low stress group. DISCUSSION The studies are heterogeneous concerning design, samples and measures. Only very few studies surpass the level of cross-sectional correlative data which limits the ability to draw clear conclusions. Future research should study the impact of experimentally induced stress on CBSD symptoms, examine the relationship between stress and CBSD longitudinally and assess objective stress markers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias A Thomas
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany.
| | - Anna M Schmid
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany
| | - Annica Kessling
- Department of General Psychology, Cognition and Center for Behavioral Addiction Research (CeBAR), University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Matthias Brand
- Department of General Psychology, Cognition and Center for Behavioral Addiction Research (CeBAR), University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany; Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen, Germany
| | - Sabine Steins-Loeber
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany
| | - Astrid Müller
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Ilkevič E, Hausmann M, Grikšienė R. Emotion recognition and regulation in males: Role of sex and stress steroids. Front Neuroendocrinol 2024; 74:101145. [PMID: 38862092 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2024.101145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Understanding emotions in males is crucial given their higher susceptibility to substance use, interpersonal violence, and suicide compared to females. Steroid hormones are assumed to be critical biological factors that affect and modulate emotion-related behaviors, together with psychological and social factors. This review explores whether males' abilities to recognize emotions of others and regulate their own emotions are associated with testosterone, cortisol, and their interaction. Higher levels of testosterone were associated with improved recognition and heightened sensitivity to threatening faces. In contrast, higher cortisol levels positively impacted emotion regulation ability. Indirect evidence from neuroimaging research suggested a link between higher testosterone levels and difficulties in cognitive emotion regulation. However, this notion must be investigated in future studies using different emotion regulation strategies and considering social status. The present review contributes to the understanding of how testosterone and cortisol affect psychological well-being and emotional behavior in males.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Ilkevič
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Life Science Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania
| | | | - Ramunė Grikšienė
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Life Science Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Matthaeus H, Heim C, Voelkle MC, Singer T. Reducing neuroendocrine psychosocial stress response through socio-emotional dyadic but not mindfulness online training. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1277929. [PMID: 38978617 PMCID: PMC11228163 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1277929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Stress-related diseases pose significant health risks and show wide prevalence. Empirical evidence suggests that contemplative practices, such as socio-emotional dyadic mental exercises, hold promise in mitigating the adverse effects of stress and promoting psychosocial well-being. This study aimed to investigate the differential effects of two online contemplative mental training programs on the psychosocial stress response: the first involved classic mindfulness practices, while the second incorporated a socio-emotional dyadic approach known as Affect Dyad. Methods The study was conducted as part of the longitudinal CovSocial project's phase 2 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 140 individuals participated in the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST), where the psychosocial stress response was assessed with cortisol saliva samples and subjective stress questionnaires in a cross-sectional design after the active training groups finished their intervention period. Participants were randomly assigned to the socio-emotional training group, mindfulness-based training group, or a control group that did not receive any training. Both training programs consisted of a ten-week intervention period with a daily 12-minute app-based mental training practice and weekly 2-hour online coaching sessions led by mental training teachers. Results Results showed that the socio-emotional Dyad group but not the mindfulness-based group exhibited significantly lower cortisol levels at 10, 20, 30, and 40 minutes after the stressor as well as lower total cortisol output compared to the control group during the TSST, indicating a reduced hormonal stress response to a social stressor. Subjective markers did not show differences between the three groups. Discussion These findings indicate that the daily socio-emotional dyadic practice, which emphasizes non-judgmental and empathic listening as well as the acceptance of challenging emotions in the presence of others within one's daily life context, may serve as a protective factor against the adverse effects of psychosocial stress triggered by the fear of negative social judgments. Given the high prevalence of stress-related diseases, such online mental training programs based on dyadic practices may thus represent an efficient and scalable approach for stress reduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Matthaeus
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine Heim
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manuel C. Voelkle
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Wekenborg MK, Förster K, Schweden F, Weidemann R, Bechtolsheim FV, Kirschbaum C, Weitz J, Ditzen B. Differences in Physicians' Ratings of Work Stressors and Resources Associated With Digital Transformation: Cross-Sectional Study. J Med Internet Res 2024; 26:e49581. [PMID: 38885014 PMCID: PMC11217711 DOI: 10.2196/49581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly accelerated the need and implementation of digital innovations, especially in medicine. OBJECTIVE To gain a better understanding of the stress associated with digital transformation in physicians, this study aims to identify working conditions that are stress relevant for physicians and differ in dependence on digital transformation. In addition, we examined the potential role of individual characteristics (ie, age, gender, and actual implementation of a digital innovation within the last 3 years) in digitalization-associated differences in these working conditions. METHODS Cross-sectional web-based questionnaire data of 268 physicians (mean age 40.9, SD 12.3 y; n=150, 56% women) in Germany were analyzed. Physicians rated their chronic stress level and 11 relevant working conditions (ie, work stressors such as time pressure and work resources such as influence on sequence) both before and after either a fictional or real implementation of a relevant digital transformation at their workplace. In addition, a subsample of individuals (60; n=33, 55% women) submitted self-collected hair samples for cortisol analysis. RESULTS The stress relevance of the selected working conditions was confirmed by significant correlations with self-rated chronic stress and hair cortisol levels (hair F) within the sample, all of them in the expected direction (P values between .01 and <.001). Multilevel modeling revealed significant differences associated with digital transformation in the rating of 8 (73%) out of 11 working conditions. More precisely, digital transformation was associated with potentially stress-enhancing effects in 6 working conditions (ie, influence on procedures and complexity of tasks) and stress-reducing effects in 2 other working conditions (ie, perceived workload and time pressure). Younger individuals, women, and individuals whose workplaces have implemented digital innovations tended to perceive digitalization-related differences in working conditions as rather stress-reducing. CONCLUSIONS Our study lays the foundation for future hypothesis-based longitudinal research by identifying those working conditions that are stress relevant for physicians and prone to differ as a function of digital transformation and individual characteristics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Katharina Wekenborg
- Chair of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Digital Health, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katharina Förster
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian Schweden
- Institute for Work Design and Organizational Development INAGO, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Robin Weidemann
- Clinic of Internal Medicine, Krankenhaus St. Joseph-Stift, Dresden, Germany
| | - Felix von Bechtolsheim
- Department of Gastrointestinal, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Chair of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jürgen Weitz
- Department of Gastrointestinal, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Beate Ditzen
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Zhan F, Li Q, Feng H, Lin R, Liang W, Lin L, Qin Z. A short-term of starvation improved the antioxidant activity and quality of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2024; 50:911-925. [PMID: 38300371 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-024-01306-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Clarias gariepinus is an important freshwater fish with high economic value and breeding potential in China. It is a fast-growing and adaptable catfish, but the main problems facing the current market are its low price and poor taste, although starvation is a good solution to these problems. In this study, the effects of starvation on the physiology, biochemistry, and muscle quality of C. gariepinus were investigated. The results showed that compared with the control group, the weight gain rate and specific growth rate of the starvation group were significantly different. Body weight, visceral weight, condition factor, viscerosomatic index, hepatosomatic index, and viscera fat index all decreased, while visceral weight and hepatosomatic index decreased significantly after starvation for 30 days. The hardness and crude protein of muscle increased significantly and crude lipid decreased significantly. Taste-enhancing amino acids increased slightly, and fatty acids increased significantly. Compared with the control group, starvation led to changes in antioxidant defense parameters. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver increased significantly; the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased in serum after 30 days; the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) increased considerably in the serum and liver after 15 days; the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increased considerably in the serum and liver after 30 days. The in-depth study of changes in physiological, biochemical, and nutritional components of fish under starvation is helpful to understand the ecological strategy of fish to adapt to starvation and of great guiding significance for fishery resource management and aquaculture production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fanbin Zhan
- Guangdong Provincial Water Environment and Aquatic Products Security Engineering Technology Research Center, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510222, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Qingqing Li
- Guangdong Provincial Water Environment and Aquatic Products Security Engineering Technology Research Center, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510222, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Huiwen Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Water Environment and Aquatic Products Security Engineering Technology Research Center, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510222, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ruikang Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Water Environment and Aquatic Products Security Engineering Technology Research Center, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510222, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Weiming Liang
- Guangdong Provincial Water Environment and Aquatic Products Security Engineering Technology Research Center, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510222, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Li Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Water Environment and Aquatic Products Security Engineering Technology Research Center, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510222, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Zhendong Qin
- Guangdong Provincial Water Environment and Aquatic Products Security Engineering Technology Research Center, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510222, Guangdong Province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Nagy T, Ipacs H, Ferentzi E, Köteles F. Heart rate perception and expectation impact laboratory-induced perceived stress. Int J Psychophysiol 2024; 199:112326. [PMID: 38460676 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that the human capacity to gauge one's own physiological state is notoriously flawed. The cause for the mismatch between perceived and physiological stress has not yet been properly identified. In this study, we assumed that cardioceptive accuracy (CAc) is positively associated with cardiovascular reactivity, and CAc and expectation about stress might account for the discrepancy between perceived and physiological stress. In a crossover experiment, we assessed cardioceptive accuracy in two ways (mental heartbeat tracking task and perception of heart rate), and induced physiological (handgrip exercise) and mental (N-back task) stress in 64 university students (51 % male, mean age 22.2). We assessed cardiac and electrodermal activity, and expected and perceived stress. We found that indicators of cardioceptive accuracy were not associated with cardiovascular reactivity. However, heart rate perception moderated the association between the change in heart rate and perceived stress in the physical but not in the mental task. Whereas heartbeat tracking accuracy was not associated with perceived stress. Moreover, perceived stress was predicted by the expected stress but not by the change in heart rate and electrodermal activity in the mental stress task. In conclusion, heart rate perception and expectation of stress may shape perceived stress more than actual physiological changes in moderate acute stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Nagy
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Henriett Ipacs
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Ferentzi
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Ádám György Psychophysiology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Ferenc Köteles
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary; Ádám György Psychophysiology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Adami MA, Bertellotti M, Agüero ML, Frixione MG, D'Amico VL. Assessing the impact of urban landfills as feeding sites on physiological parameters of a generalist seabird species. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 202:116327. [PMID: 38581734 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
The increasing human population and associated urban waste pose a significant threat to wildlife. Our study focused on the Kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), known for opportunistic feeding in anthropogenic areas, particularly urban landfills. We assessed the physiological status of Kelp gulls at a landfill and compared it with gulls from a protected natural site. Results indicate that gulls from the anthropogenic site exhibited lower levels of key physiological parameters linked to diet, including triglycerides, total proteins, uric acid, plasmatic enzyme activity, body condition index, and leukocyte count, in comparison to their counterparts from the natural site. These findings suggest that Kelp gulls experience inferior physical and nutritional conditions when utilizing anthropogenic sites like landfills governmentally managed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Adami
- Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos CESIMAR-CONICET, Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina.
| | - Marcelo Bertellotti
- Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos CESIMAR-CONICET, Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina; School of Production, Environment, and Sustainable Development, University of Chubut, Argentina
| | - María Laura Agüero
- Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos CESIMAR-CONICET, Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Martin G Frixione
- Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos CESIMAR-CONICET, Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Verónica L D'Amico
- Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos CESIMAR-CONICET, Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Kassis W, Aksoy D, Favre CA, Arnold J, Gaugler S, Grafinger KE, Artz S, Magnuson D. On the complex relationship between resilience and hair cortisol levels in adolescence despite parental physical abuse: a fourth wave of resilience research. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1345844. [PMID: 38628259 PMCID: PMC11019004 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1345844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction To understand the family's role in adolescents' mental health development and the connection to neurodevelopmental disorders related to experienced parental physical abuse, we first explored resilience pathways longitudinally and secondly, connected the identified patterns to adolescents' hair cortisol levels that are rooted in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as the main stress response system and connected brain structure alterations. Methods We analyzed longitudinal online questionnaire data for three consecutive high school years (from seventh to ninth grade) and four survey waves from a representative sample of n = 1609 high school students in Switzerland on violence-resilience pathways. Furthermore, we collected students' hair samples from a subsample of n = 229 at survey wave 4. About 30% of the participating adolescents had been physically abused by their parents. Out of the overall sample, we drew a subsample of adolescents with parental abuse experiences (survey wave 1 n = 509; survey wave 2 n = 506; survey wave 3 n = 561; survey wave 4 n = 560). Results Despite the odds, about 20-30% of adolescents who have experienced parental physical abuse escaped the family violence cycle and can be called resilient. By applying a person-oriented analytical approach via latent class and transition analysis, we longitudinally identified and compared four distinct violence-resilience patterns. We identified violence resilience as a multidimensional latent construct, which includes hedonic and eudaimonic protective and risk indicators. Because resilience should not solely be operationalized based on the lack of psychopathology, our latent construct included both feeling good (hedonic indicators such as high levels of self-esteem and low levels of depression/anxiety and dissociation) and doing well (eudaimonic indicators such as high levels of self-determination and self-efficacy as well as low levels of aggression toward peers). Discussion The present study confirmed that higher cortisol levels significantly relate to the comorbid pattern (internalizing and externalizing symptoms), and further confirmed the presence of lasting alterations in brain structures. In this way, we corroborated the insight that when studying the resilience pathways and trajectories of abused adolescents, biological markers such as hair cortisol significantly enhance and deepen the understanding of the longitudinal mechanisms of psychological markers (e.g., self-determination, self-esteem, self-efficacy) that are commonly applied in questionnaires.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wassilis Kassis
- School of Education, University of Applied Sciences, Windisch, Switzerland
| | - Dilan Aksoy
- School of Education, University of Applied Sciences, Windisch, Switzerland
| | - Céline Anne Favre
- School of Education, University of Applied Sciences, Windisch, Switzerland
| | - Julia Arnold
- School of Education, University of Applied Sciences, Windisch, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Gaugler
- School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | | | - Sibylle Artz
- School of Child and Youth Care, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Doug Magnuson
- Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Beevor HJ, Ginty AT, Veldhuijzen van Zanten JJCS, Williams SE. Mastery imagery ability moderates the relationship between heart rate reactivity to acute psychological stress and perceptions of stress and physiological arousal. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14486. [PMID: 37973366 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Imagery has been associated with cardiovascular and psychological responses to stress; however, the mechanisms underlying this association are not fully understood. The present study examined if the ability to image mastering challenging or difficult situations moderated the relationship between heart rate reactivity and perceptions of stress and physiological arousal experienced during acute stress. Four hundred and fifty-eight participants completed a standardized laboratory stress protocol with heart rate being measured throughout. After completing an acute psychological stress task, participants rated how stressed and physiologically aroused they felt (i.e., intensity) and whether they perceived the stress and physiological arousal as being helpful/unhelpful to performance (i.e., interpretation). Mastery imagery ability was assessed by questionnaire. Moderation analyses controlling for gender demonstrated that imagery ability moderated the relationship between heart rate reactivity and interpretation of stress (β = 0.015, p = .003) and perceived physiological arousal (β = 0.013, p = .004). Simple slope analysis indicated that in those with higher imagery ability, heart rate reactivity was associated with stress and arousal being perceived as more positive toward performance. Imagery ability did not moderate the relationship between heart rate reactivity and perceived stress intensity or physiological arousal intensity (p's > .05), but imagery ability did predict lower perceived stress intensity (β = -0.217, p < .001) and perceived physiological arousal intensity (β = -0.172, p < .001). Higher mastery imagery ability may possibly help individuals perceive responses to stress as more beneficial for performance and thus be an effective coping technique.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henry J Beevor
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Annie T Ginty
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | | | - Sarah E Williams
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Szabo A, Ábel K. Anxiety and heart rate in a real-life class test in undergraduates choosing real-time or prerecorded oral presentations. Biol Futur 2024; 75:17-28. [PMID: 37542019 DOI: 10.1007/s42977-023-00175-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Most studies on acute stress stem from works conducted under artificial laboratory conditions. Inducing stress for experimental scrutiny is problematic and can be unethical. In this study, a 'research methods' course's curriculum included a demonstration study testing anxiety and heart rate responses to the midterm test. Fifty-four university students (35 males and 19 females) presented a research topic in-person (n = 14) or prerecorded while being present (n = 40). Students selected a test format they could change until the week before the midterm test. The measures were trait anxiety, test anxiety, state anxiety, heart rate (HR), the last two being measured before and after examination, and grades. All students manifested decreased state anxiety and increased HR from before to after the test. Females exhibited higher HR and state anxiety than males. Real-time presentations were associated with higher HRs but not higher state anxiety. Those who changed their planned presentation mode from in-person to prerecorded exhibited higher test anxiety but not trait anxiety than those who presented as planned. Students who presented in-person obtained lower grades than those who prerecorded their presentations. Grades were negatively correlated with state anxiety after the test, but test anxiety did not significantly mediate the grades. Pre-test state anxiety was positively associated with both trait anxiety and test anxiety. The findings suggest that test anxiety is unlikely to affect grades, but test-anxious students need more control over academic evaluation. A choice in test format could be helpful in this regard.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Attila Szabo
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Krisztina Ábel
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Hein E, Halonen R, Wolbers T, Makkonen T, Kyllönen M, Kuula L, Kurki I, Stepnicka P, Pesonen AK. Does sleep promote adaptation to acute stress: An experimental study. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 29:100613. [PMID: 38371490 PMCID: PMC10869260 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives Evidence of the impact of chronic stress on sleep is abundant, yet experimental sleep studies with a focus on acute stress are scarce and the results are mixed. Our study aimed to fill this gap by experimentally investigating the effects of pre-sleep social stress on sleep dynamics during the subsequent night, as measured with polysomnography (PSG). Methods Thirty-four healthy individuals (65% females, Mage = 25.76 years SD = 3.35) underwent a stress-inducing (SC) or neutral control condition (CC) in virtual reality (VR). We used overnight EEG measurements to analyze the basic sleep parameters and power spectral density (PSD) across the sleep cycles, and measured heart rate and its variability (HRV), skin electrodermal activity (EDA), and salivary cortisol to capture physiological arousal during the VR task and the pre-sleep period. Results Following acute stress (SC), the amount of slow-wave sleep (SWS) was higher and N2 sleep lower relative to CC, specifically in the first sleep cycle. In SC, PSD was elevated in the beta-low (16-24 Hz) and beta-high (25-35 Hz) frequency ranges during both stages N2 and SWS over the entire night. Conclusions Sleep promoted adaptation to acute social stress by a longer duration of SWS in the subsequent sleep period, especially in early sleep. A similar homeostatic effect towards restorative sleep is well-evidenced in animal model stress studies but has not been previously reported in experimental human studies. Whether the high-frequency PSD activity during stages N2 and SWS also serves in the resolution of transient stress, remains open.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emil Hein
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Risto Halonen
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Neomento GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tommi Makkonen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markus Kyllönen
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liisa Kuula
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilmari Kurki
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Anu-Katriina Pesonen
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Köteles F. Vague sensations. About the background and consequences of discordance between actual and perceived physiological changes. Clin Psychol Rev 2024; 108:102382. [PMID: 38218123 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Empirical evidence consistently shows that discordance, also called dissociation or discrepancy, between actual physiological (mainly visceral) events and their perceived counterparts is substantial. On the one hand, we typically do not perceive actual visceral events occurring in our bodies; on the other hand, sometimes we do perceive bodily changes that do not really take place. This narrative review presents the available empirical findings on the discordance, and summarizes possible explanations that approach the phenomenon from the viewpoint of evolution, cognitive development, and predictive processing. Also, the role of top-down factors, such as expectations and experiences is discussed. Finally, practically relevant consequences of the discordance are presented using the examples of mind-body practices, the placebo and nocebo phenomenon, and medically unexplained symptoms. It is concluded that the discordance between actual and perceived body changes can have a negative impact on health, mainly through issues with adherence and other behavioral factors. The existence of actual-perceived discordance should be taught and demonstrated in the elementary and high school, as well as in many areas of higher education.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ferenc Köteles
- Institute of Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary; Ádám György Psychophysiology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Ráčková L, Pompa T, Zlámal F, Barták M, Nývlt D, Bienertová-Vašků J. Physiological evidence of stress reduction during a summer Antarctic expedition with a significant influence of previous experience and vigor. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3981. [PMID: 38368474 PMCID: PMC10874375 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54203-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Antarctica provides a unique environment for studying human adaptability, characterized by controlled conditions, limited sensory stimulation, and significant challenges in logistics and communication. This longitudinal study investigates the relationship between stress indicators, with a specific focus on mean sleep heart rate, during a COVID-19 quarantine and subsequent 83 days long summer Antarctic expedition at the J. G. Mendel Czech Antarctic Station. Our novel approach includes daily recordings of sleep heart rate and weekly assessments of emotions, stress, and sleep quality. Associations between variables were analyzed using the generalized least squares method, providing unique insights into nuances of adaptation. The results support previous findings by providing empirical evidence on the stress reducing effect of Antarctic summer expedition and highlight the importance of previous experience and positive emotions, with the novel contribution of utilizing physiological data in addition to psychological measures. High-frequency sampling and combination of psychological and physiological data addresses a crucial gap in the research of stress. This study contributes valuable knowledge to the field of psychophysiology and has implications for expedition planners, research organizations, teams in action settings, pandemic prevention protocols, global crises, and long-duration spaceflight missions. Comprehensive insights promote the well-being and success of individuals in extreme conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Ráčková
- RECETOX, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Pompa
- Department of Physical Activities and Health Sciences - Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Zlámal
- Department of Physical Activities and Health Sciences - Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Barták
- Department of Experimental Biology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Nývlt
- Polar-Geo-Lab, Department of Geography, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Julie Bienertová-Vašků
- RECETOX, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Department of Physical Activities and Health Sciences - Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Schmidt B, Rohleder N, Engert V. Post-hypnotic safety suggestion improves stress coping with long-lasting effects. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3548. [PMID: 38347065 PMCID: PMC10861489 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54071-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Effective coping with acute stress is important to promote mental health and to build stress resilience. Interventions improving stress coping usually require long training periods. In this study, we present a hypnosis-based intervention that produces long-term effects after a single hypnosis session. In that session, we established a post-hypnotic safety suggestion that participants can activate afterwards with a cue, the Jena Safety Anchor. We tested 60 participants in our study who all received the hypnosis session and a stress task. The safety group used the Jena Safety Anchor during acute stress (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST). The control group used a neutral anchor. We measured subjective stress responses via self-reports and physiological stress responses via saliva and blood samples as well as heart rate. One week later, all participants filled in an online survey to measure long-term effects of the post-hypnotic safety suggestion. We found that participants using the Jena Safety Anchor during the TSST reported significantly lower stress compared to the control group. The safety group also reported significantly fewer negative thoughts concerning their TSST performance than the control group during the stress recovery phase and 1 week later. All participants indicated that the Jena Safety Anchor still worked 1 week after its establishment. Suggestibility did not affect the efficacy of the Jena Safety Anchor. Our findings demonstrate that post-hypnotic safety suggestions improve stress coping with long-lasting effects, which makes it a promising intervention to promote mental health and establish stress resilience in just one hypnosis session.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Schmidt
- Institute of Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Stoystraße 3, 07743, Jena, Germany.
| | - Nicolas Rohleder
- Chair of Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Veronika Engert
- Institute of Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Stoystraße 3, 07743, Jena, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Voigt L, Hill Y, Frenkel MO. Testing the hormesis hypothesis on motor behavior under stress. APPLIED ERGONOMICS 2024; 115:104161. [PMID: 37935066 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
While much research has focused on the deleterious effects of stress on goal-directed behavior in recent decades, current views increasingly discuss growth under stress, often assuming dose-dependent effects of stress in a curvilinear association. This is based on the concept of hormesis, which postulates a strengthening effect of stress at low-to-moderate doses. Leveraging this approach, hormetic curves indicate under which stress dose an individual is able to maintain or even increase goal-directed behavior. The present study aimed to test the hormetic effect of low-to-moderate stress on tactical movement performance in the context of police operational scenarios in virtual reality. In teams of three to four, 37 riot police officers had to search a building for a potentially aggressive perpetrator in three scenarios with escalating stress potential (i.e., increasing weapon violence and number of civilians). Tactical movement performance as behavioral response was quantified by the sample entropy of each officer's velocity derived from positional data. To account for inter-individuality in response to the scenarios, we assessed self-reported stress, anxiety, mental effort, and vagally mediated heart rate variability. Specifically, we tested the quadratic associations between tactical movement performance and stress parameters, respectively. Random-intercept-random-slope regressions revealed neither significant linear nor quadratic associations between any of the stress parameters and performance. While we did not find evidence for hormesis in the present study, it stimulates theoretical discussions about the definition of "baseline" functioning and how the understanding of hormesis can move from psychological to behavioral adaptations to stressors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Voigt
- Institute of Sports and Sports Sciences, Heidelberg University, Germany; Institute of Psychology, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany
| | - Yannick Hill
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, the Netherlands; Institute of Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience, Colorado Springs, USA.
| | - Marie Ottilie Frenkel
- Institute of Sports and Sports Sciences, Heidelberg University, Germany; Faculty of Health, Safety, Society, Furtwangen University, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Weber J, Heming M, Apolinário-Hagen J, Liszio S, Angerer P. Comparison of the Perceived Stress Reactivity Scale with physiological and self-reported stress responses during ecological momentary assessment and during participation in a virtual reality version of the Trier Social Stress Test. Biol Psychol 2024; 186:108762. [PMID: 38311307 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Valid approaches to conveniently measure stress reactivity are needed due to the growing evidence of its health-impairing effects. This study examined whether the Perceived Stress Reactivity Scale (PSRS) predicts cardiovascular and psychological responses to psychosocial stressors during daily life and during a virtual reality (VR) Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Medical students answered a standardized baseline questionnaire to assess perceived stress reactivity by the PSRS. The PSRS asks participants to rate the intensity of their typical affective responses to common stressors during daily life. They were further asked to participate in a VR-TSST and in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) over a period of three consecutive workdays during daily life. Blood pressure and self-reported stress were repeatedly, heart rate variability (HRV) continuously measured during the VR-TSST and EMA. Furthermore, participants repeatedly assessed task demands, task control and social conflict during the EMA. Data was analysed using multilevel analysis and multiple linear regression. Results indicate that the PSRS moderates associations between blood pressure (but not HRV) and demands and control during daily life. Furthermore, the PSRS directly predicted self-reported stress, but did not moderate associations between self-reported stress and demands, control and social conflict. The PSRS did not predict physiological and self-reported stress responses to the VR-TSST. This study partly confirmed convergent validity of the PSRS to stress reactivity in daily life. Furthermore, the lack of association between the PSRS and stress responses to the VR-TSST calls for future studies to search for reliable and valid ways to assess stress reactivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeannette Weber
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Meike Heming
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jennifer Apolinário-Hagen
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Stefan Liszio
- Center for Children and Youth Medicine, University Hospital Essen, Germany
| | - Peter Angerer
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Zvolensky MJ, Shepherd JM, Garey L, Woody M, Otto MW, Clausen B, Smit T, Mayorga NA, Bakhshaie J, Buitron V. Negative emotional reactivity to minority stress: measure development and testing. Cogn Behav Ther 2024; 53:1-28. [PMID: 37766610 PMCID: PMC10840979 DOI: 10.1080/16506073.2023.2260560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of the present investigation was to develop and test a measure of negative emotional reactivity to racial/ethnic minoritized stress. In Study 1, we developed item content for a measure of negative emotional reactivity to racial/ethnic minoritized stress. We then evaluated item performance and produced a refined 15-item scale among a large sample of racial/ethnic minority adults (N = 1,343). Results supported a unidimensional construct and high levels of internal consistency. The factor structure and internal consistency were replicated and extended to a sample of Latinx persons who smoke (N = 338) in Study 2. There was evidence of convergent validity of the Emotional Reactivity to Minoritized Stress (ERMS) total score in terms of theoretically consistent and statistically significant relations with indices of mental health problems, social determinants of health, and substance use processes. There was also evidence that the ERMS demonstrated divergent validity in that it was negatively associated with psychological well-being, health literacy, subjective social status in Study 1, and positive abstinence expectancies in Study 2. Overall, the present study establishes the reliability and validity of measuring individual differences in negative emotional reactivity to racial/ethnic minority stress with the ERMS and that such responsivity is associated with behavioral health problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Zvolensky
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- HEALTH Institute, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Lorra Garey
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- HEALTH Institute, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mary Woody
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michael W. Otto
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bryce Clausen
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tanya Smit
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nubia A. Mayorga
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jafar Bakhshaie
- Integrated Brain Health Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 Bowdoin Square, Suite 100, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Victor Buitron
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Drost L, Finke JB, Bachmann P, Schächinger H. Cold pressor stress effects on cardiac repolarization. Stress 2024; 27:2352626. [PMID: 38766757 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2352626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The cold pressor test (CPT) elicits strong cardiovascular reactions via activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), yielding subsequent increases in heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP). However, little is known on how exposure to the CPT affects cardiac ventricular repolarization. Twenty-eight healthy males underwent both a bilateral feet CPT and a warm water (WW) control condition on two separate days, one week apart. During pre-stress baseline and stress induction cardiovascular signals (ECG lead II, Finometer BP) were monitored continuously. Salivary cortisol and subjective stress ratings were assessed intermittently. Corrected QT (QTc) interval length and T-wave amplitude (TWA) were assessed for each heartbeat and subsequently aggregated individually over baseline and stress phases, respectively. CPT increases QTc interval length and elevates the TWA. Stress-induced changes in cardiac repolarization are only in part and weakly correlated with cardiovascular and cortisol stress-reactivity. Besides its already well-established effects on cardiovascular, endocrine, and subjective responses, CPT also impacts on cardiac repolarization by elongation of QTc interval length and elevation of TWA. CPT effects on cardiac repolarization share little variance with the other indices of stress reactivity, suggesting a potentially incremental value of this parameter for understanding psychobiological adaptation to acute CPT stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Drost
- Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Johannes B Finke
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| | - Petra Bachmann
- Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Hartmut Schächinger
- Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Tyler MP, Wright BJ, Beaton R, Monger K, Raison CL, Lowry CA, Evans L, Hale MW. Severity of depressive symptoms moderates the sympathoinhibitory effect of local skin warming following exposure to a social stressor. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 159:106420. [PMID: 37866124 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Depression is the leading cause of disease burden globally. Existing antidepressant treatments that target the central nervous system have limited efficacy and come at the cost of significant side effects. Thus, there is growing interest in novel therapeutic interventions for the prevention and treatment of depression, including interventions that target interoceptive signaling. The thermosensory system may hold particular promise, given evidence that depression is associated with impairments in thermosensory functioning, and that whole-body hyperthermia produces an antidepressant effect in patients with major depressive disorder. In this study, we investigated whether the severity of depressive symptoms in a non-clinical population moderated the effect of local skin warming on subjective and physiological stress responses following exposure to an acute social stressor. Following exposure to the stressor, participants (N = 90) rested their arm on a heat blanket that was either turned on (local skin warming condition) or left off (control condition). We demonstrate that local skin warming increased fingertip temperature, a marker of reduced sympathetic nervous system activity, but only for participants with high levels of depressive symptoms. While local skin warming also inhibited salivary alpha amylase, severity of depressive symptoms did not moderate this effect, and no effect was found for electrodermal activity. These data highlight the importance of incorporating peripheral physiology in our conceptualization of the pathophysiology of depression and show that changes in sympathetic nervous system activity may underpin the antidepressant effect of warm stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark P Tyler
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Bradley J Wright
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Russell Beaton
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Katherine Monger
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Charles L Raison
- Human Development and Family Studies, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Center for Neuroscience, and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Veterans Health Administration, Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Denver, CO 80220, USA; Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE), Denver, CO 80220, USA
| | - Lynette Evans
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Matthew W Hale
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Ai Y, Hummel T, Nie H, Yang J, Han P. Reduced neural responses to pleasant odor stimuli after acute psychological stress is associated with cortisol reactivity. Neuroimage 2023; 284:120474. [PMID: 38008298 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute stress alters olfactory perception. However, little is known about the neural processing of olfactory stimuli after acute stress exposure and the role of cortisol in such an effect. Here, we used an event-related olfactory fMRI paradigm to investigate brain responses to odors of different valence (unpleasant, pleasant, or neutral) in healthy young adults following an acute stress (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) induction (N = 22) or a non-stressful resting condition (N = 22). We obtained the odor pleasantness, intensity, and familiarity ratings after the acute stress induction or resting condition. We also measured the participants' perceived stress and salivary cortisol at four time points during the procedure. We found a stress-related decrease in brain activation in response to the pleasant, but not to the neutral or unpleasant odor stimuli in the right piriform cortex extending to the right amygdala, the right orbitofrontal cortex, and the right insula. In addition, activation of clusters within the regions of interest were negatively associated with individual baseline-to-peak increase in salivary cortisol levels after stress. We also found increased functional connectivity between the right piriform cortex and the right insula after stress when the pleasant odor was presented. The strength of the connectivity was positively correlated with increased perceived stress levels immediately after stress exposure. These results provide novel evidence for the effects of acute stress in attenuating the neural processing of a pleasant olfactory stimulus. Together with previous findings, the effect of acute stress on human olfactory perception appears to depend on both the valence and the concentration (e.g., peri-threshold or suprathreshold levels) of odor stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Ai
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Interdisciplinary Centre Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Haoyu Nie
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Juan Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Pengfei Han
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Bardach L, Huang Y, Richter E, Klassen RM, Kleickmann T, Richter D. Revisiting effects of teacher characteristics on physiological and psychological stress: a virtual reality study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22224. [PMID: 38097628 PMCID: PMC10721614 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49508-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying personal characteristics associated with teachers' stress is a longstanding research goal with important implications for practice. The present work revisits the effects of individual characteristics in terms of neuroticism, classroom management self-efficacy, and cognitive (reasoning) abilities on stress using virtual reality (VR). Relying on a sample of 56 German pre-service teachers (Mage = 22.73, SDage = 4.93; 50.9% females), we capitalized on a VR classroom environment that allowed the integration of experimental control and authentic teaching situations, where pre-service teachers responded to the disruptive behaviors of the student avatars. We focused on stress responses in terms of psychological stress (self-reported stress) assessed after the VR session, and physiological stress (heart rate) assessed during the VR session. A total of 30 (26) participants was assigned to a condition with higher (lower) levels of disruptive student behavior, referred to as higher and lower complexity condition, respectively. Results from linear mixed-effects models revealed that neuroticism positively predicted psychological and physiological stress responses in pre-service teachers, whereas classroom management self-efficacy and cognitive (reasoning) abilities were not significantly related to stress responses. Level of complexity and the interaction between complexity and individual characteristics did not have an effect. This study underlines the value of VR as a tool for psychological research and contributes to existing knowledge on teacher characteristics and stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Bardach
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Walter-Simon-Straße 12, 72072, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Yizhen Huang
- University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Nonglait PL, Madhu SV, Raizada N, Aggarwal A, Ahmed R, Aslam M. High level of psychological stress in COVID-19 recovered individuals: role of copeptin as a potential biomarker. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1253396. [PMID: 38155695 PMCID: PMC10753758 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Study aimed to assess stress in COVID-19 recovered individuals using a validated questionnaire PSS-10 score and stress biomarkers - salivary cortisol and serum copeptin. Methods A total of 83 subjects of which 54 subjects (66.3%) who were hospitalized were recruited 8-20 weeks following recovery from COVID-19. Stress was assessed by PSS-10 stress-scale after a mean duration of 14.5 weeks after recovery. Sixty-eight subjects (81.9%) had new or persistent symptoms after recovery. Subjects were divided into two groups on the basis of PSS score; mild stress (PSS:0-13) and moderate to severe stress (PSS:>14) and levels of biomarkers (serum copeptin, DHEAS and salivary cortisol) were compared in the two groups. Results Forty-four subjects (53%) had moderate to severe stress and 39 subjects (47%) had mild stress. Subjects with post COVID symptoms had significantly higher stress levels as compared to subjects who were asymptomatic [15 vs. 9; p = 0.003]. Serum copeptin levels were significantly higher among subjects with moderate to severe stress as compared to those with mild stress [0.41 vs. 0.67 ng/mL; p = 0.031]. Subjects with moderate to severe stress had higher median salivary cortisol compared to subjects with mild stress [1.03 vs. 1.44 nmol/L; p = 0.448]. Conclusion Our study demonstrated moderate to severe stress in over half and some level of stress in nearly all COVID recovered individuals even after 3 months. Serum copeptin was found to be a useful biomarker to objectively measure stress in these subjects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phibakordor Lyngdoh Nonglait
- Department of Endocrinology, Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism, University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi) and GTB Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Sri Venkata Madhu
- Department of Endocrinology, Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism, University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi) and GTB Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Nishant Raizada
- Department of Endocrinology, Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism, University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi) and GTB Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Amitesh Aggarwal
- Department of Medicine, University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi) and GTB Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Rafat Ahmed
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi) and GTB Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Mohammad Aslam
- Department of Endocrinology, Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism, University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi) and GTB Hospital, New Delhi, India
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Peter HL, Giglberger M, Streit F, Frank J, Kreuzpointner L, Rietschel M, Kudielka BM, Wüst S. Association of polygenic scores for depression and neuroticism with perceived stress in daily life during a long-lasting stress period. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2023; 22:e12872. [PMID: 37876358 PMCID: PMC10733580 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Genetic factors contribute significantly to interindividual differences in the susceptibility to stress-related disorders. As stress can also be conceptualized as environmental exposure, controlled gene-environment interaction (GxE) studies with an in-depth phenotyping may help to unravel mechanisms underlying the interplay between genetic factors and stress. In a prospective-longitudinal quasi-experimental study, we investigated whether polygenic scores (PGS) for depression (DEP-PGS) and neuroticism (NEU-PGS), respectively, were associated with responses to chronic stress in daily life. We examined law students (n = 432) over 13 months. Participants in the stress group experienced a long-lasting stress phase, namely the preparation for the first state examination for law students. The control group consisted of law students without particular stress exposure. In the present manuscript, we analyzed perceived stress levels assessed at high frequency and in an ecologically valid manner by ambulatory assessments as well as depression symptoms and two parameters of the cortisol awakening response. The latter was only assessed in a subsample (n = 196). No associations between the DEP-PGS and stress-related variables were found. However, for the NEU-PGS we found a significant GxE effect. Only in individuals experiencing academic stress a higher PGS for neuroticism predicted stronger increases of perceived stress levels until the exam. At baseline, a higher NEU-PGS was associated with higher perceived stress levels in both groups. Despite the small sample size, we provide preliminary evidence that the genetic disposition for neuroticism is associated with stress level increases in daily life during a long-lasting stress period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L. Peter
- Institute of PsychologyUniversity of RegensburgRegensburgGermany
| | | | - Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of MannheimMannheimGermany
| | - Josef Frank
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of MannheimMannheimGermany
| | | | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of MannheimMannheimGermany
| | | | - Stefan Wüst
- Institute of PsychologyUniversity of RegensburgRegensburgGermany
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Carosella KA, Wiglesworth A, Bendezú JJ, Brower R, Mirza S, Mueller BA, Cullen KR, Klimes-Dougan B. Patterns of experience, expression, and physiology of stress relate to depressive symptoms and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in adolescents: a person-centered approach. Psychol Med 2023; 53:7902-7912. [PMID: 37609891 PMCID: PMC10755230 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723002003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preliminary evidence shows that discordance in stress experience, expression, and physiology (EEP) in adolescents is linked to depression, suicidal ideation (SI), non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and brain functioning. This study employs person-centered analysis to probe the relationship between stress responses, psychopathology, and neural patterns in female adolescents who are oversampled for engagement in NSSI. METHODS Adolescent females (N = 109, ages 12-17) underwent a social stress test from which self-report measures of stress experience, observer ratings of stress expression, and physiological metrics of stress (via salivary cortisol) were obtained. Multi-trajectory modeling was employed to identify concordant and discordant stress EEP groups. Depressive symptoms, SI and attempt, NSSI engagement, frontal and limbic activation to emotional stimuli, and resting state fronto-limbic connectivity were examined in the EEP groups derived from the multi-trajectory models. RESULTS Four groups were identified, three of which demonstrated relatively concordant EEP and one which demonstrated discordant EEP (High Experience-High Expression-Low Physiology). Further, replicating past research, the High Experience-High Expression-Low Physiology discordant group exhibited higher depressive symptoms, SI, suicide attempt, and NSSI episodes (only for sensitivity analyses based on past year) relative to other EEP groups. No significant group differences in brain functioning emerged. CONCLUSION Results indicate that within-person, multi-level patterns in stress responding capture risk for dysfunction including depression and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. Further interrogating of system-level stress functioning may better inform assessment and intervention efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Wiglesworth
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jason José Bendezú
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park Campus, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Rylee Brower
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Salahudeen Mirza
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Bryon A. Mueller
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kathryn R. Cullen
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Bonnie Klimes-Dougan
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Constantinou E, Vlemincx E, Panayiotou G. Testing emotional response coherence assumptions: Comparing emotional versus non-emotional states. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14359. [PMID: 37282750 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Although central to theories of emotion, emotional response coherence, that is, coordination among various emotion response systems, has received inconsistent empirical support. This study tests a basic assumption of response coherence, that is, that it characterizes emotional states defining their beginning and end. To do so, we (a) compare response coherence between emotional versus non-emotional states and (b) examine how emotional coherence changes over time, before, during, and after an emotional episode. Seventy-nine participants viewed neutral, pleasant, and unpleasant film clips and rated continuously how pleasant they felt (experience) before (anticipation), during, and after (recovery) each clip. Autonomic physiological arousal responses (skin conductance level, heart rate; physiology) and facial expressions (corrugator, zygomatic activity; expression) were recorded. Within-person cross-correlations between all emotional response pairs were calculated for each phase. Analyses comparing coherence during emotional versus neutral film viewing showed that only experience-expression coherence was higher for emotional versus neutral films, indicating specificity for emotional states. Examining coherence across phases indicated that coherence increased from anticipation to emotional film viewing, as expected, for experience-expression and experience-physiology pairs (SCL only). Of those pairs, increased coherence returned to baseline during recovery, as theoretically assumed, only for experience-corrugator activity coherence. Current findings provide empirical support for theoretical views of response coherence as a defining feature of emotional episodes, but mostly for the coherence between experience and facial expressions. Further research needs to investigate the role of sympathetic arousal indices, as well as the role of response coherence in emotional recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Constantinou
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Elke Vlemincx
- Department of Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam Movement Sciences Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Harmon TG, Johnson A, Ward V, Nissen SL. Physiological Arousal, Attentiveness, Emotion, and Word Retrieval in Aphasia: Effects and Relationships. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2023; 32:2554-2564. [PMID: 37343542 DOI: 10.1044/2023_ajslp-22-00305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to (a) compare physiological arousal and attentiveness during a confrontational naming task between participants with aphasia and a control group across four conditions that varied according to emotionality of presented stimuli and (b) explore relationships among physiological arousal, attentiveness, perceived arousal, and naming performance. We hypothesized that participants with aphasia would show lower levels of arousal and attentiveness than control participants and that emotional conditions would lead to increased physiological arousal and attentiveness. METHOD Eight participants with aphasia and 15 control participants completed a confrontational naming task under positive, negative, and neutral conditions and rated their perceived arousal after each. Electrophysiological recordings were taken during the entire experiment to obtain measures of heart rate (HR), HR variability, and skin conductance (SC). Videos of confrontational naming trials were rated based on visual signs of participant attentiveness during each trial. RESULTS Statistically significant group differences were found for HR, SC, and attentiveness ratings, but no differences were found in these measures among conditions. Correlational analyses revealed statistically significant relationships between attentiveness and response time, HR, and naming accuracy. Significant correlations were also found for HR and naming accuracy as well as perceived arousal and naming accuracy. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that decreased physiological arousal or attentiveness may contribute to naming deficits for people with aphasia (PWA). Assisting PWA to fully attend to and engage in therapy tasks may be important for accurate assessment of language functions and for achieving optimal benefit in treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tyson G Harmon
- Department of Communication Disorders, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Angela Johnson
- Department of Communication Disorders, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Vivian Ward
- Department of Communication Disorders, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Shawn L Nissen
- Department of Communication Disorders, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Wang Y, Gao H, Qi M. Left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation can accelerate stress recovery: A repetitive transcranial stimulation study. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14352. [PMID: 37221649 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a single high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) session was applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) after a moderate-to-intense stressor to investigate whether left DLPFC stimulation could regulate cortisol concentration after stress induction. Participants were randomly divided into three groups (stress-TMS, stress, and placebo-stress). Stress was induced in both the stress-TMS and stress groups using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The placebo-stress group received a placebo TSST. In the stress-TMS group, a single HF-rTMS session was applied over the left DLPFC after TSST. Cortisol was measured across the different groups, and each group's responses to the stress-related questionnaire were recorded. After TSST, both the stress-TMS and stress groups reported increased self-reported stress, state anxiety, negative affect, and cortisol concentration compared with the placebo-stress group, indicating that TSST successfully induced a stress response. Compared with the stress group, the stress-TMS group exhibited reduced cortisol levels at 0, 15, 30, and 45 min after HF-rTMS. These results suggest that left DLPFC stimulation after stress induction might accelerate the stress recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Wang
- School of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| | - Heming Gao
- School of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| | - Mingming Qi
- School of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Foss S, Petty CR, Howell C, Mendonca J, Bosse A, Waber DP, Wright RJ, Enlow MB. Associations among maternal lifetime trauma, psychological symptoms in pregnancy, and infant stress reactivity and regulation. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1714-1731. [PMID: 35678173 PMCID: PMC9732151 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Maternal trauma has intergenerational implications, including worse birth outcomes, altered brain morphology, and poorer mental health. Research investigating intergenerational effects of maternal trauma on infant stress reactivity and regulation is limited. Maternal mental health during pregnancy may be a contributor: psychopathology is a sequela of trauma exposure and predictor of altered self-regulatory capacity in offspring of affected mothers. We assessed associations among maternal lifetime trauma and infant stress responsivity, mediated by psychological symptoms in pregnancy. Mothers reported lifetime trauma history and anxiety, depressive, and posttraumatic stress symptoms during pregnancy. At infant age 6 months, stress reactivity and regulation were assessed via maternal behavior ratings (Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised, IBQ-R) and behavioral (negative mood) and physiological (respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA) markers during a laboratory stressor (Still-Face Paradigm). Maternal trauma was directly associated with lower infant physiological regulation and indirectly associated with lower levels of both infant behavioral and physiological regulation via higher maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Maternal trauma was also indirectly associated with higher infant reactivity via higher maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Post hoc analyses indicated differential contributions of maternal prenatal versus postnatal anxiety to infant outcomes. Findings highlight potential contributory mechanisms toward maladaptive child stress response, which has been associated with poor behavioral, cognitive, and academic outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Foss
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carter R. Petty
- Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caroline Howell
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Juliana Mendonca
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abigail Bosse
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deborah P. Waber
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Kravis Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|