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Gehrig TW, Berk LS, Dudley RI, Smith JA, Gharibvand L, Lohman EB. The feigned annoyance and frustration test to activate the sympathoadrenal medullary system. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2024; 18:100232. [PMID: 38596409 PMCID: PMC11002885 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2024.100232] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
When perceived as threatening, social interactions have been shown to trigger the sympathoadrenal medullary system as well as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis resulting in a physiologic stress response. The allostatic load placed on human health and physiology in the context of acute and chronic stress can have profound health consequences. The purpose of this study was to develop a protocol for a lab-based stress stimulus using social-evaluative threat. While several valid, stress-stimulating protocols exist, we sought to develop one that triggered a physiologic response, did not require significant lab resources, and could be completed in around 10 min. We included 53 participants (29 men and 24 women) and exposed them to a modified version of the Stroop Color-Word Interference Task during which the participants were made to feel they were performing the task poorly while the lead researcher feigned annoyance and frustration. After exposure to this Feigned Annoyance and Frustration (FAF) Test, both the men and women in this study demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful increase in subjective stress on the visual analog scale. Additionally, the men in this study demonstrated a statistically significant increase in heart rate and salivary α-amylase concentrations after exposure to the test. The women in this study did not demonstrate a statistically significant increase in the physiologic stress biomarkers. This protocol for the FAF Test shows promise to researchers with limited time and resources who are interested in experimentally activating the sympathoadrenal medullary system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ted W. Gehrig
- Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy, 24951 N. Circle Dr., A-620, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Lee S. Berk
- Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions, And School of Medicine, 24951 N. Circle Dr., A-620, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Robert I. Dudley
- Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy, 24951 N. Circle Dr., A-620, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Jo A. Smith
- Department of Physical Therapy, Chapman University, 9401 Jeronimo Rd., Irvine, CA, 92618, USA
| | - Lida Gharibvand
- Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions, 24951 N. Circle Dr., A-620, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Everett B. Lohman
- Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy, 24951 N. Circle Dr., A-620, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
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2
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Röhr AK, Kohn N, Bergs R, Clemens B, Lampert A, Spehr M, Habel U, Wagels L. Increased anger and stress and heightened connectivity between IFG and vmPFC in victims during social interaction. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8471. [PMID: 38605132 PMCID: PMC11009292 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57585-y] [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: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Self-identification as a victim of violence may lead to increased negative emotions and stress and thus, may change both structure and function of the underlying neural network(s). In a trans-diagnostic sample of individuals who identified themselves as victims of violence and a matched control group with no prior exposure to violence, we employed a social exclusion paradigm, the Cyberball task, to stimulate the re-experience of stress. Participants were partially excluded in the ball-tossing game without prior knowledge. We analyzed group differences in brain activity and functional connectivity during exclusion versus inclusion in exclusion-related regions. The victim group showed increased anger and stress levels during all conditions. Activation patterns during the task did not differ between groups but an enhanced functional connectivity between the IFG and the right vmPFC distinguished victims from controls during exclusion. This effect was driven by aberrant connectivity in victims during inclusion rather than exclusion, indicating that victimization affects emotional responses and inclusion-related brain connectivity rather than exclusion-related brain activity or connectivity. Victims may respond differently to the social context itself. Enhanced negative emotions and connectivity deviations during social inclusion may depict altered social processing and may thus affect social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Kristin Röhr
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Nils Kohn
- Donders Institute, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rene Bergs
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Clemens
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich, Germany
| | - Angelika Lampert
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen - SCN Aachen, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Marc Spehr
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich, Germany
| | - Lisa Wagels
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
- Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich, Germany.
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Kappen M, Vanhollebeke G, Van Der Donckt J, Van Hoecke S, Vanderhasselt MA. Acoustic and prosodic speech features reflect physiological stress but not isolated negative affect: a multi-paradigm study on psychosocial stressors. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5515. [PMID: 38448417 PMCID: PMC10918109 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55550-3] [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: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity in speech under stress has been a recurring issue in stress research, potentially due to varied stress induction paradigms. This study investigated speech features in semi-guided speech following two distinct psychosocial stress paradigms (Cyberball and MIST) and their respective control conditions. Only negative affect increased during Cyberball, while self-reported stress, skin conductance response rate, and negative affect increased during MIST. Fundamental frequency (F0), speech rate, and jitter significantly changed during MIST, but not Cyberball; HNR and shimmer showed no expected changes. The results indicate that observed speech features are robust in semi-guided speech and sensitive to stressors eliciting additional physiological stress responses, not solely decreases in negative affect. These differences between stressors may explain literature heterogeneity. Our findings support the potential of speech as a stress level biomarker, especially when stress elicits physiological reactions, similar to other biomarkers. This highlights its promise as a tool for measuring stress in everyday settings, considering its affordability, non-intrusiveness, and ease of collection. Future research should test these results' robustness and specificity in naturalistic settings, such as freely spoken speech and noisy environments while exploring and validating a broader range of informative speech features in the context of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchel Kappen
- Department of Head and Skin, Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Ghent, Belgium.
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Gert Vanhollebeke
- Department of Head and Skin, Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jonas Van Der Donckt
- IDLab, Ghent University - Imec, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sofie Van Hoecke
- IDLab, Ghent University - Imec, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Head and Skin, Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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4
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Stout ME, Keirns BH, Hawkins MAW. Hypocortisolemic reactivity to acute social stress among lonely young women. Soc Neurosci 2023; 18:171-182. [PMID: 37381132 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2023.2229082] [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: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
We examined biopsychosocial stress of acute social pain in relation to chronic loneliness. Hypotheses: 1) Cyberball exclusion (vs. inclusion) would be associated with lower cortisol reactivity to a speech task, and 2) loneliness would moderate the relationship between social exclusion and cortisol reactivity to a speech task, such that higher loneliness would be linked to lower cortisol. Participants (n = 31, women, aged 18-25, 51.6% non-Hispanic white) were randomized to be excluded or included in a game of Cyberball, then completed a speech task. Salivary cortisol was measured at baseline, pre-speech, post-speech, and 15 minutes post-speech. Cortisol reactivity was calculated using area under the curve-increase (AUCi). ANOVA revealed a non-significant, meaningful effect of Cyberball exclusion on cortisol AUCi (p=.103, ηp2=.10), accounting for contraceptive use. Moderation analysis revealed among women with high loneliness, women in the exclusion condition had significantly lower cortisol reactivity than women in the inclusion condition (p=.001). For women with low and medium loneliness, there were no significant differences by Cyberball condition. In sum, lonely young women who are excluded may have hypocortisolemic responses to social stress. Results are consistent with literature suggesting that chronic stress is linked to lower cortisol responses, which is linked to negative physical health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison E Stout
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Bryant H Keirns
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Misty A W Hawkins
- Department of Health & Wellness Design, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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5
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Hay DE, Bleicher S, Azoulay R, Kivity Y, Gilboa-Schechtman E. Affective and cognitive impact of social overinclusion: a meta-analytic review of cyberball studies. Cogn Emot 2023:1-18. [PMID: 36622872 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2163619] [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: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Belongingness is a central biopsychosocial system. Challenges to belongingness (i.e. exclusion/ostracism) engender robust negative effects on affect and cognitions. Whether overinclusion - getting more than one's fair share of social attention - favourably impacts affect and cognitions remains an open question. This pre-registered meta-analysis includes twenty-two studies (N = 2757) examining overinclusion in the context of the Cyberball task. We found that the estimated overall effect size of overinclusion on positive affect was small but robust, and the effect on fundamental needs cognitions (belongingness, self-esteem, meaningful existence and control) was moderate in size and positive in direction. Notably, the effect sizes of overinclusion were smaller than the corresponding effects of exclusion. Finally, the effects of overinclusion on positive affect were greater for high, as compared to low, socially anxious individuals. Exploring the sequelae of the full range of inclusion experiences - from exclusion to overinclusion - may enrich our understanding of the functioning of the belongingness system as well as its interaction with another central biosocial system - the social status system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan E Hay
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Gonda Brain Science Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Sun Bleicher
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Gonda Brain Science Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Roy Azoulay
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Gonda Brain Science Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yogev Kivity
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Eva Gilboa-Schechtman
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Gonda Brain Science Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Impact of social exclusion on empathy in women with borderline personality disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023:10.1007/s00406-022-01535-0. [PMID: 36604330 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01535-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Unstable interpersonal relationships and fear of abandonment are core symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD) that often intensify during stress. Psychosocial stress, which includes components of social exclusion and increases cortisol secretion, enhances emotional empathy in healthy individuals. Women with BPD, on the contrary, react with reduced emotional empathy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of perceived social exclusion without accompanying cortisol increase on empathy in women with BPD and healthy women. To induce social exclusion, we randomized 98 women with BPD and 98 healthy women to either an exclusion or an overinclusion (control) condition of Cyberball, a virtual ball game. Subsequently, participants underwent the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET), which assesses cognitive and emotional empathy. There was no increase in cortisol release after Cyberball. Cognitive empathy did not differ between groups or conditions. Women with BPD reported lower emotional empathy for positive emotions (group by valence interaction), but not for negative emotions. Exploratory analyses suggested that this effect might be more pronounced after social exclusion. Our results confirm previous findings that cognitive empathy does not differ between women with BPD and healthy women and extend this evidence to social exclusion. Emotional empathy in women with BPD seems to be more sensitive to the effects of stress or ambiguous social situations. Specifically, emotional empathy seems to be reduced for positive emotions, and might further decline after social exclusion. Empathic reactions to emotional stimuli of different valences and to specific emotions should be further investigated.
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7
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Stout ME, Tsotsoros CE, Hawkins MA. Does Loneliness Mediate the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Pain Catastrophizing Among Women? JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2022; 15:1137-1143. [PMID: 36439660 PMCID: PMC9684362 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-022-00442-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Most adults in the United States report experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), with around a quarter of the population reporting three or more. ACEs impact adult biological (e.g., hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) and psychosocial (e.g., loneliness) functioning, including cognitive patterns in stressful situations. As one example, pain catastrophizing is an emotional and cognitive reaction to pain that is closely related to low distress tolerance. We hypothesized that women with more ACEs would report greater levels of pain catastrophizing in adulthood, an effect potentially mediated via higher levels of loneliness (i.e., perceived lack of social support). Biologically female participants (N=109; 39.8±14.0 years of age; 83.5% white) were recruited through Mechanical Turk and a university online recruitment tool, and completed an online survey including demographics, the 10-item Adverse Childhood Events Scale, the 13-item Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and the 20-item UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3. A bootstrapped mediation analysis examined the relationships between ACEs and pain catastrophizing via loneliness. Results indicated that loneliness had a significant indirect effect on the relationship between ACEs and pain catastrophizing (indirect effect=0.69; 99% CI=0.15-1.40) such that increased ACEs were related to greater loneliness, which, in turn, was related to greater pain catastrophizing. The present study adds to the literature by suggesting that loneliness is a possible mechanism by which ACEs adversely impact cognitive and emotional well-being in adulthood. Per social cognitive theory, loneliness influences social cognitions, which might make dealing with stressful situations such as pain more difficult and, therefore, increase one's catastrophic thinking patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison E. Stout
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, 116 Psychology Building, 74078 OK Stillwater, USA
| | - Cindy E. Tsotsoros
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, 116 Psychology Building, 74078 OK Stillwater, USA
| | - Misty A.W. Hawkins
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, 116 Psychology Building, 74078 OK Stillwater, USA
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8
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Geva N, Hermoni N, Levy-Tzedek S. Interaction Matters: The Effect of Touching the Social Robot PARO on Pain and Stress is Stronger When Turned ON vs. OFF. Front Robot AI 2022; 9:926185. [PMID: 35875704 PMCID: PMC9305613 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2022.926185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social touch between humans, as well as between humans and animals, was previously found to reduce pain and stress. We previously reported that touching a social robot can also induce a reduction in pain ratings. However, it is unclear if the effect that touching a robot has on pain perception is due to its appearance and its pleasant touch, or due to its ability to socially interact with humans. In the current experiment, we aimed to assess the contribution of the interactive quality to pain perception. We assessed the effect of touching the social robot PARO on mild and strong pain ratings and on stress perception, on a total of 60 healthy young participants. The robot either interacted with participants (ON group, n = 30) or was turned off (OFF group, n = 30). Touching the robot induced a decrease in mild pain ratings (compared to baseline) only in the ON group while strong pain ratings decreased similarly in both the ON and the OFF groups. The decrease in mild pain ratings in the ON group was significantly greater in participants with a higher positive perception of the interaction with PARO. We conclude that part of the effect that touching the robot has on pain stems from its interactive features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirit Geva
- Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Department of Physical Therapy, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Netta Hermoni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Shelly Levy-Tzedek
- Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Department of Physical Therapy, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Shelly Levy-Tzedek,
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9
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Helpman L, Zhu X, Zilcha-Mano S, Suarez-Jimenez B, Lazarov A, Rutherford B, Neria Y. Reversed patterns of resting state functional connectivity for females vs. males in posttraumatic stress disorder. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100389. [PMID: 34527793 PMCID: PMC8433283 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is twice as prevalent among females as compared to males following potentially traumatic events. While there is evidence for aberrant functional connectivity between hubs of the central executive network (CEN), salience network (SN), and the default mode network (DMN) in PTSD, little is known regarding sex-specificity of this connectivity. The current study aims to directly examine sex-specific resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) in trauma exposed males and females, with and without PTSD. Methods One hundred and seventy-eight individuals underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at rest, of them 85 females (45 with PTSD) and 93 males (57 with PTSD). We conducted whole-brain seed-based analysis using CEN (lateral prefrontal cortex [lPFC]), SN (anterior cingulate cortex [ACC], insula, amygdala [AMG]), and DMN (medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC], posterior parietal cortex [PCC], and hippocampus [HIP]) hubs as seed regions. Group-by-Sex ANOVA was conducted. Results The amygdala-precuneus, ACC-precuneus, and hippocampus-precuneus pathways exhibited significant group-by-sex interaction effects, with females with PTSD consistently differing in connectivity patterns from males with PTSD and from trauma-exposed healthy females. Conclusions Sex-specific neural connectivity patterns were found within and between key nodes of the CEN, DMN, and the SN, suggesting opposite patterns of connectivity in PTSD and trauma-exposed controls as a function of sex as a biological variable (SABV). This may point to mechanistic sex differences in adaptation following trauma and may inform differential neural targets for treatment of females and males with PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liat Helpman
- University of Haifa, 199 Aba Hushi St. Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel
- Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizmann St., Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, 1071 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, USA
- Corresponding author. Dept. of Counseling and Human Development, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Hushi St. Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Xi Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, 1071 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Amit Lazarov
- Department of Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, 1071 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, USA
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Bret Rutherford
- Department of Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, 1071 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, USA
| | - Yuval Neria
- Department of Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, 1071 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, USA
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10
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Zawadzki MJ, Gavrilova L. All the lonely people: Comparing the effects of loneliness as a social stressor to non-lonely stress on blood pressure recovery. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 167:94-101. [PMID: 34228984 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.06.016] [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: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined whether recalling a social stress that evoked lonely feelings produces greater affective and blood pressure responses than recalling non-social stress or a relaxing event. METHODS Young adults (n = 114) underwent one of three inductions: recalling a social stressor in which one felt lonely, recalling a non-social non-lonely stressor, and relaxation. Negative affect was assessed during baseline, induction, and recovery. Blood pressure was assessed continuously using a finger cuff. RESULTS Both the lonely and non-lonely stress conditions reported increased negative affect following the induction, with neither condition having fully recovered to baseline levels by the end of the study. For blood pressure, during recovery, blood pressure increased linearly for the lonely stress condition, but remained steady for the other conditions. CONCLUSIONS Recalling a social stress evoking lonely feelings may be more harmful for cardiovascular health than recalling non-social stressors. Results extend work demonstrating that in vivo stressors involving social evaluation elicit larger stress responses compared to stressors without this component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Zawadzki
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced, United States of America.
| | - Larisa Gavrilova
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced, United States of America
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11
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Smits FM, Schutter DJLG, van Honk J, Geuze E. Does non-invasive brain stimulation modulate emotional stress reactivity? Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 15:23-51. [PMID: 31993648 PMCID: PMC7171378 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Excessive emotional responses to stressful events can detrimentally affect psychological functioning and mental health. Recent studies have provided evidence that non-invasive brain stimulation (NBS) targeting the prefrontal cortex (PFC) can affect the regulation of stress-related emotional responses. However, the reliability and effect sizes have not been systematically analyzed. In the present study, we reviewed and meta-analyzed the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the PFC on acute emotional stress reactivity in healthy individuals. Forty sham-controlled single-session rTMS and tDCS studies were included. Separate random effects models were performed to estimate the mean effect sizes of emotional reactivity. Twelve rTMS studies together showed no evidence that rTMS over the PFC influenced emotional reactivity. Twenty-six anodal tDCS studies yielded a weak beneficial effect on stress-related emotional reactivity (Hedges’ g = −0.16, CI95% = [−0.33, 0.00]). These findings suggest that a single session of NBS is insufficient to induce reliable, clinically significant effects but also provide preliminary evidence that specific NBS methods can affect emotional reactivity. This may motivate further research into augmenting the efficacy of NBS protocols on stress-related processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenne M Smits
- Brain Research & Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Lundlaan 1, 3584 EZ, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis J L G Schutter
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jack van Honk
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, 7925, Cape Town, South Africa.,Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, 7925, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Elbert Geuze
- Brain Research & Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Lundlaan 1, 3584 EZ, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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12
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Filipkowski KB, Jones DR, Bernstein MJ, Smyth JM. Stress-responses to ostracism: Examining cortisol and affective reactivity to in-person and online exclusion. J Health Psychol 2021; 27:1793-1804. [PMID: 33860689 DOI: 10.1177/13591053211001411] [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: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ostracism is associated with poor outcomes, but it is unclear if online versus in-person ostracism elicits divergent psychological and physiological responses. Participants (N = 54) were randomly assigned to online or in-person ostracism, and provided pre- and post-ostracism measures of affect, self-esteem, self-feelings, and salivary cortisol. No significant changes in negative affect, self-esteem, or self-feelings emerged, nor were there differences by ostracism condition. Both ostracism conditions decreased positive affect (stronger online) and lowered cortisol. Extending prior work, ostracism appears to reliably decrease positive affect (especially online) but may not be threatening to the self; moreover, ostracism may reliably elicit acute cortisol declines.
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Conde A, Costa R, Figueiredo B. Anxiety and depressive symptoms effects on cortisol trajectories from pregnancy to postpartum: Differences and similarities between women and men. Horm Behav 2021; 128:104917. [PMID: 33387466 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and depressive symptoms may influence cortisol trajectories in women and men during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Using a multilevel approach, anxiety and depressive symptoms effects on 24-hour urinary free cortisol trajectories from the 2nd trimester to 3-months postpartum were examined in a sample of 66 women and 65 men with no known psychosocial or medical risk (N = 131; 33 (50%) of them were couples that participated in the same assessment waves). Results showed that both anxiety and depressive symptoms influence women's and men's cortisol trajectories from mid-pregnancy to 3-months postpartum. Women with high depressive symptoms and men with high anxiety or high depressive symptoms exhibited less accentuated variations in the 24-hour urinary free cortisol trajectories compared with women with low depressive symptoms and men with low anxiety or depressive symptoms, respectively. These effects were significant for women's cortisol trajectories from the 2nd to the 3rd pregnancy trimester and for men's cortisol trajectories throughout the entire period. The effect of anxiety and depressive symptoms on HPA axis functioning and cortisol production during pregnancy and postpartum, seems to be sex-specific. Reproductive-related alterations (associated with gestation, parturition and lactation) in women's HPA axis functioning may explain these sex-specific effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Conde
- INPP - Portucalense Institute for Human Development, Portucalense University, Porto, Portugal; Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
| | - Raquel Costa
- Universidade Europeia, Lisboa, Portugal; EPIUnit, ISPUP - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Figueiredo
- Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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Berretz G, Packheiser J, Kumsta R, Wolf OT, Ocklenburg S. The brain under stress-A systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of changes in BOLD signal associated with acute stress exposure. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 124:89-99. [PMID: 33497786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress is an omnipresent phenomenon whose neural correlates in humans are still poorly understood. Several paradigms have been developed to induce acute stress in fMRI settings, but it is unclear whether there is a global brain activation pattern related to psychosocial stress. To integrate the different neuronal activation patterns, we conducted an activation likelihood estimation analysis on 31 studies totaling 1279 participants. Studies used the ScanSTRESS, Montreal Imaging Stress Test, aversive viewing paradigm (AVP), Social-Evaluative Threat or Cyberball. The analysis revealed bilateral activation clusters comprising the claustrum, insula and inferior frontal gyrus. This indicates that exposure to psychosocial stress leads to activations in brain areas involved in affective processing and the endocrine stress response. Furthermore, in a systematic review, Cyberball and AVP presented themselves as outliers due to increased activation in motor areas and lack of induction of stress related activity changes, respectively. As different paradigms emphasize different dimensions of psychosocial stress such as social evaluation or performance pressure, future research is needed to identify differences between the paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesa Berretz
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Julian Packheiser
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Robert Kumsta
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Institute of Health and Development, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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15
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Eres R, Bolton I, Lim M, Lambert G, Lambert E. Cardiovascular responses to social stress elicited by the cyberball task. HEART AND MIND 2021. [DOI: 10.4103/hm.hm_31_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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16
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Jezova D, Trebaticka J, Buzgoova K, Durackova Z, Hlavacova N. Lower activity of salivary alpha-amylase in youths with depression. Stress 2020; 23:688-693. [PMID: 32510266 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1777975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Measurement of basal and stress-induced salivary alpha-amylase activity may help to understand autonomic nervous system disturbance in mental disorders. The potential sympathetic nervous system dysregulation in children and adolescent psychopathologies is mostly unknown. The present study was aimed to test the hypothesis that salivary alpha-amylase activity is higher in youths diagnosed with depression than in healthy subjects considering a part of the daily rhythm of enzyme activity and its morning to midday slope. A total of 30 children aged 15 ± 0.46 years (15 patients with depression, 4 boys, 11 girls, and 15 sex- and age-matched healthy controls) participated in the study. Two saliva samples were collected from each subject to measure activity of alpha-amylase in the morning and midday. The results of the present study revealed that the midday but not morning alpha-amylase activity was lower in patients with depression than in healthy controls. The diurnal increase in enzyme activity present in healthy subjects was absent in patients. The children and adolescents with depression exhibited flatter morning to midday slopes of alpha-amylase activity. In conclusion, the present results indicate a disturbance of alpha-amylase daily rhythm in youths with depression and motivate further studies on the relationship between sympathetic activation and mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Jezova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Trebaticka
- Department of Paediatric Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and the National Institute of Children's Diseases, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarina Buzgoova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zdenka Durackova
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Natasa Hlavacova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Peterson LM, Stock ML, Monroe J, Molloy-Paolillo BK, Lambert SF. Racial exclusion causes acute cortisol release among emerging-adult African Americans: The role of reduced perceived control. The Journal of Social Psychology 2020; 160:658-674. [PMID: 32122284 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2020.1729685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Racial discrimination contributes to stress-related health disparities among African Americans, but less is known about the acute effects of racial exclusion on the hypo-pituitary-adrenocortical response and psychological mediators. Participants were 276 Black/African American emerging-adults (54% female; M age = 21.74, SD = 2.21) who were randomly assigned to be excluded or included by White peers via the game Cyberball. Racial exclusion (vs. inclusion) predicted: greater negative affect (F(1, 276) = 104.885, p < .0001), lower perceived control (F(1, 276) = 205.523, p < .0001), and greater cortisol release (F(1, 274) = 4.575, p = .033). Racial exclusion's impact on cortisol release was mediated by lower perceived control (95% CI: .027, .112), but not negative affect (-.041, .013). These findings suggest that racial exclusion contributes to acute cortisol release, and that reduced perceived control is a consequence of racial discrimination that has important implications for the health of those who experience discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle L Stock
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The George Washington University
| | | | | | - Sharon F Lambert
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The George Washington University
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Effects of Social Exclusion on Cardiovascular and Affective Reactivity to a Socially Evaluative Stressor. Int J Behav Med 2019; 25:410-420. [PMID: 29616454 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-018-9720-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Socially disconnected individuals have worse health than those who feel socially connected. The mechanisms through which social disconnection influences physiological and psychological outcomes warrant study. The current study tested whether experimental manipulations of social exclusion, relative to inclusion, influenced subsequent cardiovascular (CV) and affective reactivity to socially evaluative stress. METHODS Young adults (N = 81) were assigned through block randomization to experience either social exclusion or inclusion, using a standardized computer-based task (Cyberball). Immediately after exposure to Cyberball, participants either underwent a socially evaluative stressor or an active control task, based on block randomization. Physiological activity (systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR)) and state anxiety were assessed throughout the experiment. RESULTS Excluded participants evidenced a significant increase in cardiovascular and affective responses to a socially evaluative stressor. Included participants who underwent the stressor evidenced similar increases in anxiety, but systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate did not change significantly in response to the stressor. CONCLUSIONS Results contribute to the understanding of physiological consequences of social exclusion. Further investigation is needed to test whether social inclusion can buffer CV stress reactivity, which would carry implications for how positive social factors may protect against the harmful effects of stress.
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A Review of Selected Studies That Determine the Physical and Chemical Properties of Saliva in the Field of Dental Treatment. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:6572381. [PMID: 29854777 PMCID: PMC5966679 DOI: 10.1155/2018/6572381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Physiological whole saliva is a unique body fluid constantly washing the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, and larynx. Saliva is a clear, slightly acidic mucinous-serous secretion, composed of various electrolytes, small organic substances, proteins, peptides, and polynucleotides. There are many ways to use saliva as a biological fluid (biofluid). The significant advantages of saliva as a unique diagnostic material are its availability and the noninvasive method of collection. The aim of this review is to emphasize the diagnostic value of saliva as a research material in the configuration of its structure and secretion disorders. The data were obtained using the MEDLINE (PubMed) search engine, as well as an additional manual search. The analysis covered 77 articles selected from a group of 1986 publications and initially qualified for devising. The results were evaluated and checked for the correctness of qualifying in accordance with inclusion and exclusion criteria. The diagnostic use of saliva has attracted the attention of many researchers due to its noninvasive nature and relative simplicity of collection. In addition, it should be noted that the determination of chemical and physical saliva parameters can be effectively performed in the patient's presence in the dental office.
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