Stronger cortisol response to acute psychosocial stress is correlated with larger decrease in temporal sensitivity

Zhuxi Yao,Caihong Jiang,Jianhui Wu,Liang Zhang,Kan Zhang

doi:10.7717/peerj.2061

Abstract

As a fundamental dimension of cognition and behavior, time perception has been found to be sensitive to stress. However, how one’s time perception changes with responses to stress is still unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between stress-induced cortisol response and time perception. A group of 40 healthy young male adults performed a temporal bisection task before and after the Trier Social Stress Test for a stress condition. A control group of 27 male participants completed the same time perception task without stress induction. In the temporal bisection task, participants were first presented with short (400 ms) and long (1,600 ms) visual signals serving as anchor durations and then required to judge whether the intermediate probe durations were more similar to the short or the long anchor. The bisection point and Weber ratio were calculated and indicated the subjective duration and the temporal sensitivity, respectively. Data showed that participants in the stress group had significantly increased salivary cortisol levels, heart rates, and negative affects compared with those in the control group. The results did not show significant group differences for the subjective duration or the temporal sensitivity. However, the results showed a significant positive correlation between stress-induced cortisol responses and decreases in temporal sensitivity indexed by increases in the Weber ratio. This correlation was not observed for the control group. Changes in subjective duration indexed by temporal bisection points were not correlated with cortisol reactivity in both the groups. In conclusion, the present study found that although no significant change was observed in time perception after an acute stressor on the group-level comparison (i.e., stress vs. nonstress group), individuals with stronger cortisol responses to stress showed a larger decrease in temporal sensitivity. This finding may provide insight into the understanding of the relationship between stress and temporal sensitivity.

Highlights

Individuals differ dramatically in their psychophysiological responses to stress, and their brain functions and behavioral performances vary with their stress responsiveness (Pruessner et al, 1997; Lupien et al, 2007; Sapolsky, 2015)
Simple effects analysis revealed that the baseline salivary cortisol level (Spre) in the stress group was not significantly different from that in the control group (p > .05), and salivary cortisol levels (Spost1, Spost2, and Spost3) measured after treatment were significantly higher in the stress group compared with those in the control group
The modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) task here elicited significant physiological responses and affective changes in the stress group compared with the control group, including cortisol increases, Heart rate (HR) increases, and NA increases, suggesting the TSST task was effective in stress induction

Summary

Introduction

Individuals differ dramatically in their psychophysiological responses to stress, and their brain functions and behavioral performances vary with their stress responsiveness (Pruessner et al, 1997; Lupien et al, 2007; Sapolsky, 2015). Studies have shown that time perception is crucial for many fundamental functions, e.g., motor control (Edwards, Alder & Rose, 2002) and acoustic communication signals, including human speech and music (Mauk & Buonomano, 2004; Schirmer, 2004). These functions rely on precise temporal perception and play important roles for everyday functioning (Buhusi & Meck, 2005). How one’s time perception alters with responses to stress is still unknown

Methods

Results

Conclusion