Induction of acute stress through an internet-delivered Trier Social Stress Test as assessed by photoplethysmography on a smartphone

AbstractChronic stress is associated with impacting eating behavior, namely food choice and energy intake, with a shift towards more palatable and energy dense foods. Additionally, eating behavior is influenced by other psychological factors like mood and emotions. The categorization of people into eating types such as restrained, emotional, and external eaters has gained attraction. Reported changes in eating behavior due to psychological stress are only occasionally accompanied by measures of physiological hunger through ghrelin. The primary objective of this study was to investigate how chronic stress and acute cortisol reactivity affect active ghrelin secretion and how these outcomes account for different eating types. 16 healthy, young males (age: 23 ± 3 years, BMI: 22.5 ± 1.3kg/m2) with low (n = 8) and average-to-high (n = 8) chronic stress level were subjected to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and a control version on two separate days. Active ghrelin, cortisol, glucose, and heart rate were measured throughout the test. Subjects rated their hunger by means of visual analog scale and current mood was assessed with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). In addition, participants filled out the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) to account for their subjective eating behavior. Overall ghrelin values where higher on the test day compared to the control day. Ghrelin values were also higher during the time leading up to the stress or control test (TSST) than during the conclusion of said tests. On both days, mean values for active ghrelin where higher in individuals with low chronic stress exposure compare to those with average-to-high chronic stress exposure. While values from test to control day decreased for lower stressed participants, they slightly increased for higher stressed participants. Cortisol responders displayed higher ghrelin values on test day than cortisol non-responders, but this association inverted for the control day. Results indicate that chronic stress influences acute stress response and further alters active ghrelin production, which in turn can influence eating behavior. Replication in a greater group of participants of differing weight and sex could yield a greater understanding of stress induced eating. Factors such as relaxation techniques and coping mechanisms could further improve our knowledge and evaluate treatment possibilities.

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Does Psychosocial Stress Impact Cognitive Reappraisal? Behavioral and Neural Evidence

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_01157 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (11) ◽

pp. 1803-1816 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Maheen Shermohammed ◽

Pranjal H. Mehta ◽

Joan Zhang ◽

Cassandra M. Brandes ◽

Luke J. Chang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Psychosocial Stress ◽

Social Stress ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Cognitive Reappraisal ◽

Self Report ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Control Group ◽

Stress Group

Cognitive reappraisal (CR) is regarded as an effective emotion regulation strategy. Acute stress, however, is believed to impair the functioning of prefrontal-based neural systems, which could result in lessened effectiveness of CR under stress. This study tested the behavioral and neurobiological impact of acute stress on CR. While undergoing fMRI, adult participants ( n = 54) passively viewed or used CR to regulate their response to negative and neutral pictures and provided ratings of their negative affect in response to each picture. Half of the participants experienced an fMRI-adapted acute psychosocial stress manipulation similar to the Trier Social Stress Test, and a control group received parallel manipulations without the stressful components. Relative to the control group, the stress group exhibited heightened stress as indexed by self-report, heart rate, and salivary cortisol throughout the scan. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that reappraisal success was equivalent in the control and stress groups, as was electrodermal response to the pictures. Heart rate deceleration, a physiological response typically evoked by aversive pictures, was blunted in response to negative pictures and heightened in response to neutral pictures in the stress group. In the brain, we found weak evidence of stress-induced increases of reappraisal-related activity in parts of the PFC and left amygdala, but these relationships were statistically fragile. Together, these findings suggest that both the self-reported and neural effects of CR may be robust to at least moderate levels of stress, informing theoretical models of stress effects on cognition and emotion.

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Working Memory Performance Under Stress

Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie) ◽

10.1027/1618-3169/a000484 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 132-139

Author(s):

Petra Luers ◽

Malgorzata Schloeffel ◽

Jens C. Prüssner

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Social Stress ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Before And After ◽

The Individual ◽

And Function

Abstract. Acute stress and chronic stress change the physiology and function of the individual. As one facet, stress and its neuroendocrine correlates – with glucocorticoids in particular – modulate memory in a concerted action. With respect to working memory, impairing effects of acute stress and increased levels of glucocorticoids could be expected, but empirical evidence on moderating effects of cortisol on working memory is ambiguous in human studies. In the current study, we thus aimed to investigate cortisol stress responses and memory performance. Older men and women (32 men, 43 women, aged 61–67 years) underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and performed the 2-back task before and after exposure to acute stress. In line with theoretical assumptions, we found that higher cortisol stress responses led to a decline of working memory performance in men. However, the opposite was evident for women, who appeared to benefit from higher stress responses. This effect was evident for accuracy, but not for reaction time. In conclusion, cortisol might mediate working memory alterations with stress in a sex-specific manner in older people. Possible mechanisms and causes for these sex differences put a focus on endocrine changes in the aging population that might lead to differential effects across the lifespan.

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Dichotic listening performance and interhemispheric integration after stress exposure

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-77708-5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Gesa Berretz ◽

Julian Packheiser ◽

Oliver T. Wolf ◽

Sebastian Ocklenburg

Keyword(s):

Social Stress ◽

Dichotic Listening ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Reaction Times ◽

Past Research ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Future Research ◽

Control Procedure ◽

Hemispheric Asymmetries

AbstractFunctional hemispheric asymmetries (FHAs) have been thought to be relatively stable over time. However, past research has shown that FHAs are more plastic than initially thought. Endocrinological processes have been demonstrated to alter FHAs. As the product of the stress-activated hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis, cortisol influences information processing at every level from stimulus perception to decision making and action. To investigate the influence of acute stress on FHAs, 60 participants performed a Banich–Belger task, as well as a verbal and an emotional dichotic listening task in two sessions. One session included a stress induction via the Trier Social Stress Test, the other session included a control procedure. We calculated across-field advantages (AFAs) in the Banich–Belger task and lateralization quotients for reaction times and responses per side in both dichotic listening tasks. There were no significant differences between the stress and control session in the dichotic listening tasks. In contrast, there was evidence for an influence of cortisol and sympathetic activation indicated by salivary alpha amylase changes on AFAs in the Banich–Belger task. This indicates that acute stress and the related increase in cortisol do not influence dichotic listening performance. However, stress does seem to affect interhemispheric integration of information. Future research using EEG, fMRI and pharmacological interventions is needed to further characterize the relation of hemispheric asymmetries and acute stress.

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Acute Psychological Stress Disrupts Attentional Bias to Threat-Related Stimuli

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-017-14138-w ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Caihong Jiang ◽

Tony W. Buchanan ◽

Zhuxi Yao ◽

Kan Zhang ◽

Jianhui Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attentional Bias ◽

Social Stress ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

P300 Amplitude ◽

Control Group ◽

Stress Group ◽

Acute Psychological Stress ◽

The Impact

Abstract The present study investigated the effect of acute stress on attentional bias to threat using behavioral and ERP methods. Sixty-two male participants were randomly assigned to a stress condition (Trier Social Stress Test) or a control condition. To examine the impact of stress-induced cortisol on attentional bias to threat, participants in the stress group were split into Low- and High cortisol responders. All participants were then administered a modified dot probe task in which the cues were neutral and angry faces. Behavioral results showed a pattern of attentional bias toward threat in the Control group but not in the stress group. For the ERPs, the P100 peaked earlier for the angry-cued targets than the neutral-cued targets in the Control group, which suggests a rapid, adaptive response toward threat. However, this effect was not observed in the stress group, suggesting a suppressed attentional bias under stress. In addition, the stress group (including both Low and High cortisol responders) showed reduced P300 amplitude to target onset than the Control group. These results suggest that acute stress disrupts attentional bias to threat including a reduction in early bias to threat in addition to a subsequent change of attention allocation.

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Acute Response of Stress System in Multiple Sclerosis

Archives of Neuroscience ◽

10.5812/ans.115781 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Ahmadreza Askari Ashtiani ◽

Vahid Shaygannejad ◽

Foad Ghobadi ◽

Roozbeh Bathaie ◽

Shima Shahyad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Social Stress ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Stress System ◽

Rate Variation ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Related Disorder

Background: It has long been suspected that exposure to stress is a major factor that can increase the risk of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and exacerbate it, as a stress-related disorder. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate the response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic-adrenal-medullar (SAM) system to acute social stress. Methods: A total of 46 MS patients and 23 age-sex-matched healthy controls were recruited in the study. The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was used to induce acute psychosocial stress. We measured salivary cortisol (SC) to evaluate the HPA axis. In addition, electrocardiography (ECG) was recorded to evaluate the SAM system based on the linear and non-linear features of Heart Rate Variation (HRV). Then, SC and HRV were measured before and after the stress exposure. We also used the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) and Emotional Visual Analog Scale (EVAS) to conduct the psychometric assessment and evaluate the perceived stress level, respectively. Results: The mean age of the MS group was 35.38 ± 15 years, with a mean disease duration of 7.4 ± 60. Besides, the HC group's mean age was 35.8 ± 9 years. There were no significant differences in demographic features and DASS scores between the two groups. In response to TSST, both MS and healthy individuals showed a significant increase in the SC levels and EVAS scores, as well as changes in the HRV indices. Notably, significant differences were also found between the two groups regarding the basic and post-stress SC levels, EVAS score, and HRV indices. Unlike the HC group, the SC level returned to its baseline after recovery in the MS group, and the sympathetic tone was more sensitive. Conclusions: Our results indicated that both MS and healthy individuals respond to acute stress regarding neuroendocrine assessment; however, patients with multiple sclerosis show some impairments in this response.

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The effects of acute psychosocial stress on executive functioning in young and older adults

10.32920/ryerson.14647257.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Leen Nasser

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Executive Functioning ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Social Stress ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Age Related ◽

Effects Of Stress

It has been evidenced that, with aging, older adults exhibit increased behavioral and physiological responses to stress. Older adults also often experience declines in executive functioning performance. The acute psychological stress induced through the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) has been evidenced to negatively impact executive functioning in young adults. This relationship, however, has yet to be examined in older adults. In the current thesis, two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of stress on executive functioning (Experiment 1), as well as age related differences in stress responsivity and in the effect of stress on executive functioning (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, acute stress exhibited a negative effect on executive functioning. In Experiment 2, there were no age differences in stress responses, and a positive effect of acute stress on executive functioning in young adults only. The contradictory findings encourage further research on the effects of stress on executive functioning, and how they may differ between young and older adults.

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Personal Growth and Psychobiological Stress Responsiveness to the Trier Social Stress Test in Students

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12114497 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 4497

Author(s):

Kengo Mihara ◽

Hisayoshi Okamura ◽

Yoshihisa Shoji ◽

Kyoko Tashiro ◽

Yukie Kinoshita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Personal Growth ◽

Social Stress ◽

Parasympathetic Nervous System ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Recovery Period ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Significant Group

The current study aimed to examine the effects of personal growth (PG) on psychobiological responses at baseline and responsiveness to laboratory acute stress in students. Twenty-four healthy students were recruited as participants. Participants were screened from 203 candidates according to levels of PG using Ryff’s scale and classified into high and low PG groups. During the laboratory session, 13 high and 11 low PG participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test. Heart rate and high-frequency (HF) heart rate variability were monitored throughout the experiment. Salivary free-3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (MHPG) and perceived stress were measured at baseline, immediately after tasks and after a recovery period. Baseline and recovery perceived stress (tense arousal) were significantly lower in the high PG group compared with the low PG group. Free-MHPG and HF component returned to baseline levels during recovery significantly more rapidly in the high PG group compared with the low PG group. There were no significant group differences in heart rate. The results showed that high PG students have lower noradrenaline and higher parasympathetic nervous system activity before and after acute stress. These findings suggest a protective psychobiological pathway linking PG with better psychosomatic health in students.

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Disrupted upregulation of salience network connectivity during acute stress in siblings of schizophrenia patients

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291719004033 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Judith M. C. van Leeuwen ◽

Christiaan H. Vinkers ◽

Matthijs Vink ◽

René S. Kahn ◽

Marian Joëls ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Social Stress ◽

Dynamic Range ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Salience Network ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity

Abstract Background An adaptive neural stress response is essential to adequately cope with a changing environment. It was previously argued that sympathetic/noradrenergic activity during acute stress increases salience network (SN) connectivity and reduces executive control network (ECN) connectivity in healthy controls, with opposing effects in the late aftermath of stress. Altered temporal dynamics of these networks in response to stress are thought to play a role in the development of psychopathology in vulnerable individuals. Methods We exposed male healthy controls (n = 40, mean age = 33.9) and unaffected siblings of schizophrenia patients (n = 39, mean age = 33.2) to the stress or control condition of the trier social stress test and subsequently investigated resting state functional connectivity of the SN and ECN directly after and 1.5 h after stress. Results Acute stress resulted in increased functional connectivity within the SN in healthy controls, but not in siblings (group × stress interaction pfwe < 0.05). In the late aftermath of stress, stress reduced functional connectivity within the SN in both groups. Moreover, we found increased functional connectivity between the ECN and the cerebellum in the aftermath of stress in both healthy controls and siblings of schizophrenia patients. Conclusions The results show profound differences between siblings of schizophrenia patients and controls during acute stress. Siblings lacked the upregulation of neural resources necessary to quickly and adequately cope with a stressor. This points to a reduced dynamic range in the sympathetic response, and may constitute a vulnerability factor for the development of psychopathology in this at-risk group.

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Life stress and cortisol reactivity: An exploratory analysis of the effects of stress exposure across life on HPA-axis functioning

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579419001779 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ethan S. Young ◽

Jenalee R. Doom ◽

Allison K. Farrell ◽

Elizabeth A. Carlson ◽

Michelle M. Englund ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Life Stress ◽

Social Stress ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Stress Exposure ◽

Cortisol Reactivity ◽

Biological Stress

Abstract Stressful experiences affect biological stress systems, such as the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Life stress can potentially alter regulation of the HPA axis and has been associated with poorer physical and mental health. Little, however, is known about the relative influence of stressors that are encountered at different developmental periods on acute stress reactions in adulthood. In this study, we explored three models of the influence of stress exposure on cortisol reactivity to a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) by leveraging 37 years of longitudinal data in a high-risk birth cohort (N = 112). The cumulative stress model suggests that accumulated stress across the lifespan leads to dysregulated reactivity, whereas the biological embedding model implicates early childhood as a critical period. The sensitization model assumes that dysregulation should only occur when stress is high in both early childhood and concurrently. All of the models predicted altered reactivity, but do not anticipate its exact form. We found support for both cumulative and biological embedding effects. However, when pitted against each other, early life stress predicted more blunted cortisol responses at age 37 over and above cumulative life stress. Additional analyses revealed that stress exposure in middle childhood also predicted more blunted cortisol reactivity.

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