[Influence of the practice of meditation on the cardiovascular response in the perception and cognitive reassessment emotiogenic stimulus]

This study examines the effects of meditation on cardiovascular activity during affective image processing. 22 meditators and 20 controls were shown affective images and were asked either to attend to the images or to down-regulate negative affect (for negative images) or to up-regulate positive affect (for positive images) while continuous cardiovascular activity were recorded. During natural viewing meditators manifested identical pre-stimulus total peripheral resistance (TPR) for all images, whereas controls exhibited greatest,pre-stimulus TPR for negative images and reduced it only in the emotion regulation condition. No between-group differences were revealed for natural viewing of positive images, whereas up-regulation was associated with greater cardiac activation in meditators. The results provide a contribution to the understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the beneficial influence of meditation on cardiovascular risk factors.

[The regulation of negative and positive emotions during picture viewing: an ERP study]

The study examines the effects of cognitive reappraisal on the event-related potentials (ERPs) to affective stimuli. Participants (n = 53) were asked either to attend affective images, or to down-regulate negative affect, or to up-regulate positive affect. Reappraisal of negative images was associated with attenuation of the P300 and late positive potential (LPP) over parietal regions, whereas reappraisal of positive images had no significant effect on ERP components. The weak P300 reduction correlated with high personality scores of negative affectivity. We assume that only down-regulation of negative emotions is associated with the changes in primary appraisals, and so far reflected in ERP modulation.

Hypoactivation of reward motivational system in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension grade I-II

In patients with newly diagnosed untreated grade I-II hypertension, EEG oscillations were recorded under conditions activation of the two basic motivational systems, defensive motivational system and positive reinforcement system, evoked by recall of personally meaningful emotional events. The 64-channel EEG and cardiovascular reactivity (beat-by-beat technology) were simultaneously recorded. At rest, hypertensive patients had significantly reduced platelet serotonin concentrations in comparison with healthy individuals. The patients experiencing emotional activation were characterized by significantly lower intensity of positive emotions associated with more pronounced suppression of EEG activity in the delta (2-4 Hz) and theta (ranges of frequency 4-6 and 6-8 Hz) oscillators in the parieto-occipital cortex (zones P and PO) in both hemispheres of the brain. The findings attest to insufficient function of the brain serotonin system and hypoactivation of the reward/reinforcement system in patients with primary hypertension.

[Coupling of brain oscillatory systems with cognitive (experience and valence) and physiological (cardiovascular reactivity) components of emotion]

We investigated the coupling of EEG oscillators with cognitive (experience and valence) and physiological (cardiovascular reactivity) components of emotion. Emotions of anger and joy were evoked in healthy males (n = 49) using a guided imagery method, multichannel EEG and cardiovascular reactivity (Finometer) were simultaneously recorded. Correlational analysis revealed that specially distributed EEG oscillators seem to be selectively involved into cognitive (experience and valence) and physiological (cardiovascular reactivity) components of emotional responding. We showed that low theta (4-6 Hz) activity from medial and lateral frontal cortex of the right hemisphere predominantly correlated with the anger experience, high alpha (10-12 and 12-14 Hz) and gamma (30-45 Hz) activity from central-parieto-occipital regions of the left hemisphere--with cardiovascular reactivity to anger and joy, gamma-activity (30-45 Hz) from the left hemisphere in parietal areas--with cardiovascular reactivity to joy. The findings suggest that specially distributed neuronal networks oscillating at different frequencies may be regarded as a putative neurobiological mechanism coordination dynamical balance between cognitive and physiological components of emotion as well as psycho-neuro-somatic relationships within the mind-brain-body system.

[Individual preconscious affective biases to threatening and appetitive facial stimulus and cardiovascular stress-reactivity]

AIM

To investigate cardiovascular stress-reactivity in association with individual preconscious affective biases to threatening and appetitive facial stimuli.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Preconscious affective biases were assessed in healthy individuals (n = 38, mean age 28, 10 years, 1SD = 8.64) using a modified (masked) version of a pictorial emotional Stroop task (backward masking of the angry, fearful and joyful faces).

RESULTS

It was revealed that individual preconscious bias to speeded up perception of angry faces correlates significantly with heightened anxiety, lowered platelet serotonin (5-HT) levels, sustained central overactivation of at rest (as indexed by lowered delta, theta, and beta-1 EEG power over frontal, central and posterior cortical areas) and exaggerated arterial blood pressure stress-reactivity during re-experiencing of personally relevant anger.

CONCLUSIONS

considering uncovered associations, individuals with preconscious bias to speeded up perception of angry faces may be regarded as having enhanced risk to fall sick with essential hypertension, yet this perceptive bias could be seen as a putative neurobehavioral predictor of the risk.

Activity of the positive and negative reinforcement motivation systems and baseline arterial blood pressure in humans

The aim of the present work was to identify possible associations between individual balances in the activity of the positive and negative reinforcement motivation systems using a method based on emotional modulation of the startle reaction (EMSR) by motivationally significant emotionally positive and negative contextual visual stimuli and measures of cardiovascular system activity. Studies were performed using healthy males (mean age 30.29 +/- 9.8 years) with normal and first-episode excessive increases in arterial blood pressure (systolic blood pressure to greater than 140 mmHg, diastolic to greater than 90 mmHg). Cluster analysis of EMSR data identified groups of individuals with different activity profiles for the positive and negative reinforcement systems. Groups of subjects with changes in the balance of activity towards a lower level of positive reinforcement system activity (smaller startle reflexes to positive contextual stimuli) or a higher level of negative reinforcement system activity (larger startle reactions to threatening contextual stimuli) showed significantly greater baseline SBP and DBP. The possible mechanisms of the modulatory influences of the balance of system activities on autonomic vascular regulatory processes are discussed.

[Activity balance in behavioural inhibition and behavioural approach systems and rest blood pressure in humans]

The study determined the contribution of activity balance of the two motivational systems, i.e. appetitive and defensive, into mechanisms of blood pressure (BP) regulation in humans. Average age of participants was 30.29 +/- 9.8 years. Men having the BP within normal range and the individuals with firstly diagnosed increased arterial blood pressure up to abnormal values were selected. Using the method of emotional modulation of the startle reflex (EMSR) by different profiles of the EMSR. The participants with shifted balance toward enhanced activity of defensive system (amplified probe startle by unpleasant context) or shifted balance toward low activity of appetitive system (decrease or inhibition of the probe startle by pleasant context) had significantly increased BP in resting. Putative mechanisms of the revealed phenomena are discussed.