Gender differences and the relationships of perceived background stress and psychological distress with cardiovascular responses to laboratory stressors

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships of perceived background stress and self-reported psychological distress on cardiovascular reactivity during acute laboratory stressors. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used as the measure of perceived background stress, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was used as the measure of psychological distress. A secondary aim was to examine whether background stress and psychological distress affected the susceptibility to induction of a negative mood using music. Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were measured in 149 female and male college students at rest and during a stressful mental arithmetic (MA) task and a mood induction procedure. Higher scores on the GHQ were associated with lower systolic BP reactivity during the MA task by all participants. Higher scores on the PSS and GHQ were also associated with lower diastolic BP and HR reactivity, but only in females. Thus, higher self-reports of background stress and psychological distress tended to result in blunted reactivity to an acute laboratory challenge. Higher levels of background stress and psychological distress were not associated with greater susceptibility to a negative mood induction. This study adds to the growing literature indicating that potentially negative health outcomes may be associated with diminished cardiovascular reactivity under certain conditions.     

Mood congruent effects by music on word cognition

Two studies investigated the mood congruent effects of music on word cognition. In both studies, bright or sad music was used in order to induce elated or depressed mood, and subjects were assigned to either the bright or the sad music condition. In Study 1, positive and negative personality trait words and non-words were presented with the music to examine the effect on incidental recall. Thirty-one subjects were asked to judge whether the words were positive or negative as quickly and accurately as possible. In Study 2, 37 subjects were presented with ambiguous personality trait words without and with music to examine how their interpretations of ambiguous stimuli were affected by music. The results showed the mood congruent effects on recall, interpretation, and response time, and these findings agreed with those obtained from other studies of the mood effects on cognition, especially on recall. It was suggested that music induces a certain mood, which influences on cognitive processes of other stimuli.     

Secretory immunoglobulin A reactions to prolonged mental arithmetic stress: inter-session and intra-session reliability.

Although previous evidence suggests that mucosal immunity may be influenced by mental stress, the importance of the duration of stress exposure on secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) has yet to be fully elucidated. Salivary sIgA and cardiovascular activity were measured at rest, following 14 and 28 min of mental arithmetic, and after recovery in 24 men and women on two sessions 2-4 days apart. Mental arithmetic was, on both sessions and after both the early and late phases of the task, associated with increases in sIgA concentration and sIgA secretion rate compared to rest and recovery. Task levels of sIgA concentration and sIgA secretion rate showed moderate to high intra- and inter-session test-retest reliability, while test-retest reliability was lower for change scores. Blood pressure and pulse rate were also elevated by the mental stress task, although correlational analyses revealed that stress-induced changes in sIgA were not related to cardiovascular reactions.     

Modelling a loss event: effect of imagined bereavement on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

BACKGROUND: Loss events are the stressors most closely associated with the onset of depressive illnesses. The acute cortisol response to loss has been little studied although it could be an important mediator of the effects of environmental stress on psychological state. METHODS: The salivary cortisol response to an established negative mood induction procedure involving music and an imagined bereavement was measured in 30 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: Considerable but transient mood lowering in response to the negative mood induction was associated with a small increase in cortisol output over 30 min. CONCLUSIONS: This procedure has some potential as a tool to investigate individual differences in the neuroendocrine response to loss events, but this is limited. There remains a need for laboratory models of relevant psychosocial stressors in mood disorders research.     

Mood-congruent effect in self-relevant information processing: a study using an autobiographical memory recall task

The pattern of the mood-congruent effect in an autobiographical memory recall task was investigated. Each subject was randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: positive mood, negative mood (induced with music), and control groups (no specific mood). Subjects were then presented with a word at a time from a list of trait words, which were pleasant or unpleasant. They decided whether they could recall any of their autobiographical memories related to the word, and responded with "yes" or "no" buttons as rapidly and accurately as possible. After the task, they were given five minutes for an incidental free recall test. Results indicated that the mood-congruent effect was found regardless of whether there was an autobiographical memory related to the word or not in both positive and negative mood states. The effect of moods on self-relevant information processing was discussed.     

Music effect on pain threshold evaluated with current perception threshold

Music effect on pain threshold evaluated with current perception threshold     

Secretory immunoglobulin A and cardiovascular reactions to mental arithmetic, cold pressor, and exercise: effects of alpha-adrenergic blockade

The mechanism underlying acute changes in secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) remains to be determined. In this experiment, sIgA and cardiovascular activity were monitored at rest and while participants performed a mental arithmetic task, cold pressor, and submaximal cycle exercise following placebo or 1 mg of the alpha-adrenergic blocker, doxazosin. Under placebo, the tasks produced patterns of cardiovascular activity indicative of combined alpha- and beta-adrenergic, alpha-adrenergic, and beta-adrenergic activation, respectively. Doxazosin was associated with reduced blood pressure during cold pressor, but not during arithmetic or exercise. Mental arithmetic elicited increases in sIgA concentration and exercise produced increases in both sIgA concentration and secretion rate; these changes were unaffected by alpha blockade. In contrast, the cold pressor was associated with decreases in both sIgA concentration and secretion rate, which were blocked by doxazosin. These data suggest that acute decreases, but not increases, in sIgA are mediated by alpha-adrenergic mechanisms.     

Secretory immunoglobulin a and cardiovascular responses to acute psychological challenge

Cardiovascular activity and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in saliva were recorded at rest, during a 30-min computer game task, and during subsequent recovery. Blood pressure (BP) rose and remained elevated during the task and returned to resting levels during recovery. This pressor response was produced by increased total peripheral resistance rather than increased cardiac output. SIgA secretion rate also increased during the task, although the effect proved significant only toward the end of the task. As such, the data provide preliminary indication that sIgA is sensitive to acute psychological challenge in the laboratory. Although correlational analyses revealed that sIgA reactions were stable, they were not significantly correlated with pressor reactions. The influence of task uncertainty was explored by comparing individuals who had previously played the computer game with those who had not. Task-induced increases in BP and sIgA were a feature of individuals new to the computer game. In contrast to these novice players, experienced players showed minimal increases in BP and no increases in sIgA.     

Coping effectiveness and dreams as a function of personality and dream recall

Investigated the proposition that effectiveness of coping with daytime and dream stress would be influenced by personality style, as defined by the Repression-Sensitization scale (R-S), and by dreaming style, as defined by frequent (F) or infrequent (I) questionnaire dream recall. The relationship between R-S and F-I dream recall also was explored. Ss kept dream diaries for 30 consecutive days. Sensitizers, who were I recallers, had very low daytime self-confidence scores. Repressors had more positive Dream Coping Scores than Sensitizers, and F recallers had more positive Dream Coping Scores than I recallers. Repressors had a positive morning mood, regardless of whether the ending of their dream was positive or negative. The morning mood of Sensitizers, particularly the I recallers, was dependent on the pleasantness-unpleasantness of the dream ending. R-S and F-I questionnaire dream recall had a low positive correlation; no relationship was found between R-S and F-I dream diary recall.     

Feeling good and doing great: the relationship between psychological capital and well-being

This study seeks to determine the relationship between psychological capital and an employee's eudaimonic and hedonic well-being. Panel data were collected from 102 extension agents over a 2-week interval. In addition, daily surveys were collected from 67 of the participants. Results from the panel data indicated that the relation between psychological capital and hedonic well-being, measured two weeks later, is mediated by eudaimonic well-being. Results from the daily surveys found that daily eudaimonic work well-being was significantly associated with both daily positive mood and daily life satisfaction and that variance in eudaimonic work well-being was predicted by one's psychological capital.     

Optimism,positive affectivity,and salivary cortisol

Objectives. Research on stress and salivary cortisol has focused almost exclusively on the effects of negative psychological conditions or emotional states. Little attention has been drawn to the impact associated with positive psychological conditions, which have been shown recently to have significant influences on neuroendocrine regulation. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of optimism and positive affect on salivary cortisol with the effects of their negative counterparts controlled for. Design. Optimism and pessimism, and positive and negative affectivity were studied in relation to the diurnal rhythm of salivary cortisol in a group of 80 Hong Kong Chinese, who provided six saliva samples over the course of a day on two consecutive days. The separate effects of optimism and positive affect on two dynamic components of cortisol secretion, awakening response, and diurnal decline were examined. Methods. Optimism and pessimism were measured using the Chinese version of the revised Life Orientation Test while generalized affects and mood states were assessed by the Chinese Affect Scale. An enzyme‐linked immunoabsorbent assay kit (EIA) developed for use in saliva was adopted for the biochemical analysis of cortisol. Testing of major group differences associated with positive psychological conditions was carried out using two‐way (group by saliva collection time) ANOVAs for repeated measures with negative psychological conditions and mood states as covariates. Results. Participants having higher optimism scores exhibited less cortisol secretion in the awakening period when the effect of pessimism and mood were controlled. This effect was more apparent in men than in women who had higher cortisol levels in the awakening period. Optimism did not have similar effect on cortisol levels during the underlying period of diurnal decline. On the other hand, higher generalized positive affect was associated with lower cortisol levels during the underlying period of diurnal decline after the effects of negative affect and mood states had been controlled. Generalized positive affect did not significantly influence cortisol secretion during the awakening period. Conclusions. These findings suggest that positive psychological resources including optimism and generalized positive affect had higher impact on cortisol secretion than their negative counterparts, and point to the need for increased attention to the potential contribution of positive mental states to well‐being.     

Mood effects on the impression formation of typical and atypical targets

In this study, we investigated mood effects on impression formation of typical and atypical target persons, in an attempt to replicate the findings reported by Forgas (1992a). Listening to a particular piece of music, participants were first induced into positive, negative, or neutral mood. Then, they read statements, in which typical and atypical targets were described with positive and negative personality traits. While reading the statements, they were asked to form an impression of the target, and evaluate him/her. After the impression formation task, they were given ten minutes for an incidental free recall test. Results showed that mood congruent memory effect was found regardless of the targets. On the contrary, mood congruent judgment effect in positive mood was found only for typical targets. It was suggested that mood effects depend on the kind of information processing strategies triggered by typical and atypical targets.     

Autonomic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress resilience: Impact of cardiac vagal tone

Resilience refers to the ability to cope with stressful events. Variation in the activity of the stress-responsive sympatho-adrenal-medullary and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axes is particularly important for adaptive stress responses and thus may give rise to individual differences in resilience. Here, we investigated whether cardiac vagal tone and adult attachment style are related to psychophysiological stress resilience by exposing a sample of healthy young men and women (n = 68) to a laboratory stress test while monitoring autonomic (heart rate, salivary alpha-amylase), hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (salivary cortisol), and psychological stress levels. Our results demonstrate that adult attachment style did not influence autonomic, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, or psychological stress responses. In contrast, higher resting cardiac vagal tone was associated with stress-induced increases in cortisol. This suggests a role for sympathetic influences on heart rate regulation in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress responses, and extends previous observations of a link between vagal tone and stress resilience.     

Mood congruent memory bias induced by tryptophan depletion

BACKGROUND: Mood congruent memory bias predicts a more superior recall memory of learnt material congruent with the mood state at the time of learning. The present study is the first report of an experimental study in which a biological mood induction was used to test this hypothesis. The influence of acute tryptophan (TRP) depletion, inducing low serotonin neurotransmission and a depression of mood, on memory bias was evaluated in healthy volunteers (16 with and 11 without a family history of major affective disorder). METHODS: Twenty-seven subjects received 100 g of an amino acid mixture with and without TRP according to a placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced, cross-over design. An affective memory test consisting of a 30-word list with words of positive, neutral, and negative affective valence and a mood questionnaire were assessed at 6 and 24 h following treatment administration. RESULTS: TRP depletion impaired delayed recall of neutral and positive words, but not of negative words. There was no interaction of family history and treatment and there was no post hoc association between the influence of TRP-depletion on mood and on affective memory bias. CONCLUSION: Experimentally induced serotonergic depletion in normal individuals shifts affective memory bias towards negative affective valent verbal stimuli.     

A comparison of mood-dependent memory in bipolar disorder and normal controls

Mood-dependent memory was investigated in a sample of 28 individuals, with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder I but not during acute episodes, and 30 non-clinical controls by using the word lists from Wechsler Memory Scale--Third Edition and abstract inkblot recognition. Positive or negative mood induction procedures were used prior to and after the stimuli were presented. After either the same or contrasting high or low mood inductions, participants attempted to recall the word list and performed an inkblot recognition task. Bipolar patients were significantly better at the inkblot recognition in the same mood state, showing mood-dependent memory. No differences were found in the verbal recall task. This study paves the way for further investigation into memory differences of this sort in mood disorders.     

Salivary dehydroepiandrosterone secretion in response to acute psychosocial stress and its correlations with biological and psychological changes

We investigated dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) secretion in response to acute psychosocial stress and the relations of DHEA secretion to cortisol secretion, cardiovascular activity, and negative mood changes. Thirty-three male students (mean age 22.6 years) were subjected to the psychosocial stress test "Trier Social Stress Test" (TSST), in which the participants were asked to deliver a speech and perform a mental arithmetic task in front of two audiences. Collections of saliva, measurements of blood pressure and heart rate, and assessments of negative mood by visual analog scales were conducted before, during, and after TSST. Acute psychosocial stress significantly increased salivary DHEA level by an average of 60% immediately after TSST. The peak of DHEA concentration preceded that of cortisol concentration by about 10 min. DHEA response was moderately correlated to cortisol response (r=.34, r(s)=.49) but not to cardiovascular response. Lower DHEA level and elevated cortisol/DHEA ratio during TSST were significantly and moderately correlated with increased negative mood during and after TSST. These results indicated that an acute increase in DHEA concentration under stressful situations might be partly mediated by the activity of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and could have some significance in the improvement of negative mood.     

Stress-induced cortisol responses, sex differences, and false recollections in a DRM paradigm

The current studies investigated whether acute stress potentiates false recollections (so-called "false memories") in a Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm, and whether sex differences modulate these effects. Participants were assigned to either a stress (trier social stress test) or a control group. Subsequently, they were subjected to DRM word lists and probed for recall and recognition. Results showed no differences between the stress and control group on measures of false recollections (Study 1; N=60). Even though correct recall was impaired by acute stress, there were no differences between high or low cortisol responders and controls on false recall or recognitions rates (Study 2; N=92). These results suggest that cortisol responses do not directly potentiate false recollections. Neither in Study 1 nor in Study 2 did we find any evidence that the effects of cortisol on false recollections are different in men and women, although there was an indication that independent of stress men produced more commission errors.     

The Manchester Color Wheel: validation in secondary school pupils

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: As part of our research programme into facilitating improved ways of communicating with patients, especially about more sensitive clinical issues, we have been investigating whether there are any non-verbal methods that might aid this process. One such approach is to ask patients to choose a color in response to a particular question, for instance about health or psychological status, and for this purpose we developed the Manchester Color Wheel (MCW). This instrument consists of positive, neutral and negative colors and its validation in normal adults and those with anxiety or depression showed that it is responsive to change and reproducible. It also has the capacity to identify a positive frame of mind. We concluded that it might be a particularly useful instrument in adolescents and therefore this study aimed to validate it in a secondary school. METHODS: 620 pupils (aged 11-17 years, mean age 14.0 years, 298 (48.1%) males, 322 (51.9%) females) at Sale Grammar School in Greater Manchester were asked to relate their mood to a MCW color and also complete the Hospital Anxiety Depression (HAD) questionnaire. To give these pupils an experience in science, 197 were divided into four subgroups for an experiment to ascertain whether, compared to controls, a change in mood color choice could be induced by participation in sport, music or art activities. RESULTS: Although mood color and HAD depression score are unlikely to be measuring exactly the same psychological state, a negative mood color was chosen by 62.5% of HAD depressed compared to only 14.5% of HAD normal pupils (p < 0.001). In contrast, a positive mood color was chosen by 48.9% of normal and only 18.8% of depressed pupils (p < 0.001). In the experiment, compared to controls, all activities resulted in an increased choice of positive mood colors which reached significance for sport and music. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the potential utility of the MCW to rapidly and easily assess a variety of health issues in large populations, including adolescents. Some of our results should also be of interest to educationalists.     

Secretory immunoglobulin A and cardiovascular reactions to mental arithmetic and cold pressor

Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in saliva and cardiovascular reactions to mental arithmetic and cold pressor tasks were recorded in 16 healthy young men on two sessions, 4 weeks apart. Both tasks elicited significant increases in sIgA secretion rate, reflecting increases in both salivary volume and sIgA concentration. Whereas mental arithmetic elicited a mixed pattern of alpha- and beta-adrenergic cardiovascular reactions, the pattern of reactions to cold pressor was predominantly alpha-adrenergic. Task levels of sIgA secretion rate, sIgA concentration, and saliva volume showed moderate to high test–retest reliability ( r = .52–.83), although test-retest correlations were less impressive for change scores ( r =−.19–.53). The pattern of correlations between change in sIgA secretion rate and cardiovascular reactivity variables was inconsistent.     

Cardiovascular and respiratory responses during musical mood induction.

Music is used to induce moods in experimental settings as well as for therapeutic purposes. Prior studies suggest that subjects listening to certain types of music experience strong moods and show physiological responses associated with the induced emotions. We hypothesized that cardiovascular and respiratory patterns could discriminate moods induced via music. 18 healthy subjects listened to 12 music clips, four each to induce happiness, sadness, and fear, while cardiovascular and respiratory responses were recorded using an electrocardiogram and chest strain-gauge belt. After each clip subjects completed a questionnaire. Subjects consistently reported experiencing the targeted mood, suggesting successful mood induction. Cardiovascular activity was measured by calculating time domain measures and heart rate changes during each clip. Respiratory activity was measured by total, inspiration, and expiration lengths as well as changes in mean respiration rate during each clip. Evaluation of individuals' patterns and mixed-model analyses were performed. Contrary to expectations, the time domain measures of subjects' cardiovascular responses did not vary significantly between the induced moods, although a heart rate deceleration was found during the sadness inductions and acceleration during the fear inductions. The time domain respiratory measures varied with clip type: the mean breath length was longest for the sad induction, intermediate during fear, and shortest during the happiness induction. However, analysis using normalized least mean squares adaptive filters to measure time correlation indicated that much of this difference may be attributable to entrainment of respiration to characteristics of the music which varied between the stimuli. Our findings point to the difficulty in detecting psychophysiological correlates of mood induction, and further suggest that part of this difficulty may arise from failure to differentiate it from tempo-related contributions when music is used as the inducer.