scholarly journals Association of Exercise with Inhibitory Control and Prefrontal Brain Activity Under Acute Psychosocial Stress

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 439
Author(s):  
Manuel Mücke ◽  
Sebastian Ludyga ◽  
Flora Colledge ◽  
Uwe Pühse ◽  
Markus Gerber
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Group Interaction ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Primary Effect ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Psychosocial stress has negative effects on cognition in adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate whether physical exercise can buffer such effects on inhibitory control and associated cortical brain areas. Forty-two male high school students aged 16–20 years and with either low or high exercise levels performed a Stroop task under stress-free conditions and after the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Oxygenation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. For inhibitory control, there was no significant primary effect of condition (F(1,40) = 1.09, p = 303., ηp² = 0.027) and no significant condition × group interaction (F(1,40) = 2.40, p = 0.129, ηp² = 0.057). For DLPFC oxygenation, a significant primary effect of condition was observed (F (1,38) = 6.10, p = 0.018, ηp² = 0.138). However, the condition × group interaction (F (1,38) = 0.05, p = 0.823, ηp² = 0.001) remained not significant. Adolescents’ exercise level was not associated with inhibitory control before and after stress. An impact of stress on a neurocognitive level was observed.

scholarly journals Trait Rumination and Social Anxiety Separately Predict Stress Induced Rumination and Hemodynamic Responses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik Laicher ◽  
Isabell Int-Veen ◽  
Florian Torka ◽  
Agnes Kroczek ◽  
Isabel Bihlmaier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Behavioral Level ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
The Right

Abstract We aimed to investigate the stress-reactive rumination response to social stress and its association with social anxiety and trait rumination. From previous investigations we know that people with a certain vulnerability to rumination show increased stress-reactive rumination. However, up to date the possible influence of social anxiety to this relationship is still unclear. Therefore, we reanalyzed the data of two of our previous studies assessing healthy low and high trait ruminators and depressed patients performing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). We measured cortical oxygenation using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) as well as different behavioral outcome measures (subjective stress levels, negative affect, state rumination). On a behavioral level, we found an influence of both, social anxiety and trait rumination, on state rumination, even when correcting for the other factor, respectively, implying two potentially independent factors of influence. On a neural level, we observed reduced activation in socially anxious subjects in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), as well as time-dependent changes in the left IFG and in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Results indicate a specific role of social anxiety, at least on a behavioral level, and therefore implicate a crucial factor to be considered in the treatment of depression.

scholarly journals Kinetics and Interrelations of the Renin Aldosterone Response to Acute Psychosocial Stress: A Neglected Stress System

2019 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. e762-e773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelina Gideon ◽  
Christine Sauter ◽  
Judy Fieres ◽  
Thilo Berger ◽  
Britta Renner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Plasma Aldosterone ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Placebo Control ◽  
Stress System ◽  
Stress Induction ◽  
Acute Psychosocial Stress

Abstract Context The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis and its dysfunction relates to negative health consequences. Acute psychosocial stress seems to activate the RAAS in humans, but stress kinetics and interrelations of RAAS parameters compared with a nonstress control group remain inconclusive. Objective We systematically investigated in a randomized placebo-controlled design stress kinetics and interrelations of the reactivity of RAAS parameters measured in plasma and saliva to standardized acute psychosocial stress induction. Methods 58 healthy young men were assigned to either a stress or a placebo control group. The stress group underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), while the control group underwent the placebo TSST. We repeatedly assessed plasma renin, and plasma and salivary aldosterone before and up to 3 hours after stress/placebo. We simultaneously assessed salivary cortisol to validate successful stress induction and to test for interrelations. Results Acute psychosocial stress induced significant increases in all endocrine measures compared with placebo-stress (all P ≤ .041). Highest renin levels were observed 1 minute after stress, and highest aldosterone and cortisol levels 10 and 20 minutes after stress, with salivary aldosterone starting earlier at 1 minute after stress. Renin completed recovery at 10 minutes, cortisol at 60 minutes, salivary aldosterone at 90 minutes, and plasma aldosterone at 180 minutes after stress. Stress increase scores of all endocrine measures related to each other, as did renin and cortisol areas under the curve with respect to increase (AUCi) and salivary and plasma aldosterone AUCi (all P ≤ .047). Conclusions Our findings suggest that in humans acute psychosocial stress induces a differential and interrelated RAAS parameter activation pattern. Potential implications for stress-related cardiovascular risk remain to be elucidated.

scholarly journals Does Psychosocial Stress Impact Cognitive Reappraisal? Behavioral and Neural Evidence

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 1803-1816 ◽  
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.

Effects of d-amphetamine upon psychosocial stress responses

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 608-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Childs ◽  
Anya K Bershad ◽  
Harriet de Wit
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Cognitive Appraisals ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Double Blind

Psychostimulant drugs alter the salience of stimuli in both laboratory animals and humans. In animals, stimulants increase rates of responding to conditioned incentive stimuli, and in humans, amphetamine increases positive ratings of emotional images. However, the effects of stimulants on real-life emotional events have not been studied in humans. In this study, we examined the effect of d-amphetamine on responses to acute psychosocial stress using a public speaking task. Healthy volunteers ( N=56) participated in two experimental sessions, one with a psychosocial stressor (the Trier Social Stress Test) and one with a non-stressful control task. They were randomly assigned to receive d-amphetamine (5 mg n=18, 10 mg n=20) or placebo ( n=18) on both sessions under double blind conditions. Salivary cortisol, subjective mood, and vital signs were measured at regular intervals during the session. Subjects also provided cognitive appraisals of the tasks before and after their performances. Amphetamine produced its expected mood and physiological effects, and the Trier Social Stress Test produced its expected effects on cortisol and mood. Although neither dose of amphetamine altered cardiovascular or hormonal responses to stress, amphetamine (10 mg) increased participants’ pre-task appraisals of how challenging the task would be, and it increased post-task ratings of self-efficacy. Paradoxically, it also increased ratings of how stressful the task was, and prolonged aversive emotional responses. These findings suggest that amphetamine differentially affects stress response components: it may increase participants’ appraisals of self-efficacy without dampening the direct emotional or physiological responses to the stress.

Investigation of the effects of emotional context and psychosocial stress on response inhibition

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 411-411
Author(s):  
P.Z. Álmos ◽  
G. Csifcsák ◽  
B. Andó ◽  
M. Gergelyfi ◽  
T. Sándor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Baseline Condition ◽  
Emotional Context ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Related Potentials

IntroductionResponse inhibition (RI) is a basic component of human behaviour responsible for suppressing actions or thoughts which are inappropriate in a certain context. This cognitive function is well-studied in laboratory conditions, but there is limited data how it is influenced by emotional context and psychosocial stress.ObjectivesThe effect of emotional factors on RI can be investigated with an emotional go/nogo task, while psychosocial stress can be induced with the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Electroencephalography (EEG) is an excellent method for studying the neural correlates of RI: the two major event-related potentials (ERPs) implicated in the process are the frontal N2 and P3 components.AimsIn this respect, our aim was to investigate how psychosocial stress and emotional context modulate these ERPs.MethodsSeven healthy adult volunteers performed emotional go/no go tasks while brain responses were recorded by EEG. The task was carried out on two different occasions: at baseline condition and after moderate psychosocial stress induced by the TSST.ResultsWe successfully replicated the robust go vs. nogo effect on the frontal N2 and P3 amplitudes. However, ERPs were not affected by positive or negative emotional context in the baseline condition. In contrast, after TSST a significantly enhanced valence effect was observed on the go-related N2 amplitude and a greater go vs. nogo N2 latency difference was detected.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of the stress-regulating system on emotionally modulated RI and render this paradigm a promising tool for investigating RI in anxiety and mood disorders.

scholarly journals Acute Psychosocial Stress Modulates the Detection Sensitivity for Facial Emotions

2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette von Dawans ◽  
Ines Spenthof ◽  
Patrick Zimmer ◽  
Gregor Domes
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Social Perception ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Detection Sensitivity ◽  
Alpha Amylase ◽  
Facial Emotions ◽  
Free Cortisol

Abstract. Psychosocial stress has been shown to alter social perception and behavior. In the present study, we investigated whether a standardized psychosocial stressor modulates the perceptual sensitivity for positive and negative facial emotions and the tendency to allocate attention to facial expressions. Fifty-four male participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G) or a nonstressful control condition before they performed a facial emotions detection task and a facial dot-probe task to assess attention for positive and negative facial expressions. Saliva samples were collected over the course of the experiment to measure free cortisol and alpha amylase. In response to the TSST-G, participants showed marked increases in subjective stress, salivary cortisol, and alpha amylase compared to the control condition. In the control condition, detection performance was higher for angry compared to happy facial expressions, while in the stressful condition this difference was reversed. Here, participants were more sensitive to happy compared to angry facial expressions. Attention was unaffected by psychosocial stress. The results suggest that psychosocial stress shifts social perception in terms of detection sensitivity for facial expressions toward positive social cues, a pattern that is consistent with the tendency to seek social support for coping with stress.

scholarly journals The 5-HTTLPR genotype, early life adversity and cortisol responsivity to psychosocial stress in women

BJPsych Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 180-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurate Aleknaviciute ◽  
Joke H. M. Tulen ◽  
Yolanda B. de Rijke ◽  
Mark van der Kroeg ◽  
Cornelis G. Kooiman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Personality Psychopathology

BackgroundThe serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has previously been associated with hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis function. Moreover, it has been suggested that this association is moderated by an interaction with stressful life experiences.AimsTo investigate the moderation of cortisol response to psychosocial stress by 5-HTTLPR genotype, either directly or through an interaction with early life stress.MethodA total of 151 women, 85 of which had personality psychopathology, performed the Trier Social Stress Test while cortisol responsivity was assessed.ResultsThe results demonstrate a main effect of genotype on cortisol responsivity. Women carrying two copies of the long version of 5-HTTLPR exhibited stronger cortisol responses to psychosocial stress than women with at least one copy of the short allele (P = 0.03). However, the proportion of the variance of stress-induced cortisol responsivity explained by 5-HTTLPR genotype was not further strengthened by including early life adversity as a moderating factor (P = 0.52).ConclusionsOur results highlight the need to clarify gender-specific biological factors influencing the serotonergic system. Furthermore, our results suggest that childhood maltreatment, specifically during the first 15 years of life, is unlikely to exert a moderating influence of large effect on the relationship between the 5-HTTLPR genotype and cortisol responsivity to psychosocial stress.Declaration of interestNone.

scholarly journals The Need for a Neutral Speaking Period in Psychosocial Stress Testing

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 267-275
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Grimley ◽  
Celine M. Ko ◽  
Holly E. R. Morrell ◽  
Fran Grace ◽  
Maria S. Bañuelos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Testing ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Skin Conductance Level ◽  
Baseline Period ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Physiological Measures ◽  
Stress Task ◽  
Physiological Impact

Abstract. Tasks such as the Trier Social Stress Test, narrative recall, and some cognitive challenges require participants to speak in order to measure acute physiological responses to induced stress. Typically, the physiological measures during the stressed state are compared to a silent baseline period. This does not differentiate between stress that is induced by emotion and stress due to the physical act of vocalization. We modified a psychosocial stress task for 41 participants to add a period of neutral speaking. We hypothesized that there would be significant differences in physiological measures between the silent baseline and neutral speaking periods, and that these differences would explain a substantial proportion of the stress response traditionally attributed to emotion. Blood pressure, skin conductance level, respiration rate, salivary alpha-amylase, and high frequency heart rate variability showed significant changes during the neutral speaking period compared to a silent baseline, demonstrating the need for this control. Of the magnitude of physiological response which would have typically been attributed to emotion, 36–77% was due to vocalization alone. In stress-inducing tasks that require speaking, care should be taken in study design to account for the physiological impact of speech.

scholarly journals Cue-induced cocaine craving enhances psychosocial stress and vice versa in chronic cocaine users

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Kathrin Kexel ◽  
Bruno Kluwe-Schiavon ◽  
Markus R. Baumgartner ◽  
Etna J. E. Engeli ◽  
Monika Visentini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Chronic Cocaine ◽  
Cocaine Users

There is evidence that stress and craving contribute to the development, maintenance, and relapse in cocaine use disorder. Previous research has shown altered physiological responses to psychosocial stress as well as increased vegetative responding to substance-related cues in chronic cocaine users (CU). However, how psychosocial stress and cue-induced craving interact in relation to the physiological response of CU is largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated the interaction between acute psychosocial stress and cocaine-cue-related reactivity in 47 CU and 38 controls. Participants were randomly exposed first to a video-based cocaine-cue paradigm and second to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) or vice versa in a crossed and balanced design to investigate possible mutually augmenting effects of both stressors on the physiological stress response. Plasma cortisol, ACTH, and noradrenaline as well as subjective stress and craving were assessed repeatedly over the course of the experimental procedure. Growth models and discontinuous growth models were used to estimate the responses during the cocaine-cue paradigm and TSST. Overall, both groups did not differ in their endocrinological responses to the TSST but CU displayed lower ACTH levels at baseline. The TSST did not elevate craving in CU. However, if the cocaine-cue video was shown first, CU displayed an enhanced cortisol response to the subsequent TSST. Cocaine-cues robustly evoked craving in CU but no stress response, while cue-induced craving was intensified after the TSST. Taken together, CU did not show an altered acute stress response during the TSST but stress and craving together seem to have mutually augmenting effects on their stress response.

How Do Stress and Social Closeness Impact Prosocial Behavior?

2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas O. Passarelli ◽  
Tony W. Buchanan
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Prosocial Behavior ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Social Closeness ◽  
Number Of Factors

Abstract. Factors such as time pressure and psychosocial stress may increase or decrease prosocial behavior depending on a number of factors. One factor that consistently positively impacts prosocial behavior is relationship status: Prosocial behavior is more likely toward kin than toward strangers. The interactions among stress, kin relationships, and prosocial behavior were examined in two separate experiments. In Study 1, 79 university students were asked to decide how much money to donate to family members, friends, or strangers, either under time pressure or with no time constraints. Participants donated more to close kin and friends than to strangers, but time pressure did not increase prosocial behavior. In Study 2, 94 university students completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G) or a control task, followed by a similar donation task as used in Study 1. Participants donated more to close kin and friends than to strangers, but stress did not influence donation amounts. These results do not support the hypothesis that stress due to time pressure or psychosocial factors increases prosocial behavior.

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