High Anxious Subjects Research Articles

Anxiety is not the right choice! Individual differences in trait anxiety modulate biases in pseudoneglect.

Pseudoneglect, the tendency to display a leftward perceptual bias, is consistently observed in line bisection tasks. Some studies have shown that pseudoneglect is sensitive to emotions. This emotion-related modulation is likely related to valence-dependent hemispheric lateralization, although the results do not converge. A possible explanation for these inconsistencies could be individual differences in emotional tone. Considering that negative and positive emotions produce different basic activations of the two hemispheres, emotional characteristics of the subjects, such as trait anxiety, could in fact modulate the pseudoneglect phenomenon. To verify this, high- and low-anxiety participants were asked to centrally bisect horizontal lines delimited by neutral or emotional (happy and sad) faces. In line with previous studies, results here showed a decrease in the leftward bisection error in the presence of happy faces, indicating a greater involvement of the left hemisphere in processing positive emotional stimuli. In addition, trait anxiety influenced the magnitude of the visual bias. High-anxiety subjects, compared to low-anxiety subjects, showed a general bias in visual attention toward the left space as a function of emotional valence. Results are discussed within the framework of valence-dependent hemispheric specialization and the relative degree of activation. In sum, our data highlight the relevance of considering emotional individual differences in studying the pseudoneglect phenomenon.

Anxiety, anhedonia, and related food consumption in Israelis populations:An online cross-sectional study two years since the outbreak of COVID-19

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted daily life. Beyond severe health and economic consequences, psychological consequences have surfaced that require in-depth research to understand the pandemic's effects on mental health. Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the association between anxiety levels and anhedonia with food consumption patterns and changes in body weight over the two years since the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel. MethodsThis cross-sectional study utilized non-randomized sampling through an online survey that included 741 study participants aged 18 to 94. participants were asked to complete the Beck's Anxiety Questionnaire, the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale for Anhedonia Measurement, the Mediterranean Nutrition Questionnaire, and self-reports of body weight and serving size changes. ResultsThose who reported severe anxiety and anhedonia reported the highest intake of fats, sugars, and carbohydrates and the highest weight gain (e.g., Butter and cream food: severe anxiety (M = 1.342, SEM = 0.217); low anxiety (M = 0.682, SEM = 0.042), Sweet pastries: severe anxiety (M = 4.078, SEM = 0.451); low anxiety (M = 3.175, SEM = 0.436)). Anhedonic participants consumed more sweetened beverages (M = 0.987, SEM = 0.013) than hedonic participants (M = 0.472, SEM = 0.231). Among participants that gained weight, severe anxiety participants consumed significantly more salty pastries (M = 2.263, SEM = 0.550) than those with low anxiety (M = 1.096, SEM = 0.107; p = .003). A significant interaction was found between weight, anxiety, and consuming salty pastries. High anxiety subjects and weight gain declared the highest intake of this food (p = .018); Significant interactions were found between those with severe anxiety and anhedonia, who reported the highest consumption of butter and cream (p = .005) and salty pastries (p = .021). Significant associations were found between weight and anhedonia and weight and anxiety levels (p = .000, p = .006 – respectively). ConclusionsThe outbreak of COVID-19 and its long-term presence strengthen the negative psychological aspects and increase the consumption of foods high in fat and sugar. Further attention to nutritional health is needed since crises may occur, and we must be prepared to prevent adverse consequences.

Trait anxiety and neural efficiency of abstract reasoning: An fMRI investigation

Worries preoccupy the working memory capacity in anxious individuals, thereby affecting their performance during tasks that require efficient attention regulation. According to the attentional control theory (ACT), trait anxiety affects the processing efficiency, i.e. the effort required for task performance, more than the accuracy of task performance. We investigated the relation between trait anxiety and neural response for a reasoning task in healthy subjects. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was carried out on 22 healthy participants and blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast estimates were extracted from a priori regions of interest (ROIs) that were earlier implicated in reasoning (i.e., bilaterally caudate head, globus pallidus, thalamus, prefrontal cortex [[ostral, dorsal and ventral regions]] inferior parietal lobule and middle occipital gyrus). Controlling for the effects of age, gender, state anxiety and depressive symptoms, for equivalent levels of task performance, trait anxiety of the participants was found to be associated with an increase in task related BOLD activation in right globus pallidus, left thalamus and left middle occipital gyrus. Our results suggest a reduced processing efficiency for reasoning in high trait anxiety subjects and provides important brain-behaviour relationships with respect to sub-clinical anxiety.

Neurophysiological markers of high anxiety level in man during the process of preparing for a visual recognition

By means of EEG analysis the functional state of subjects with high and low levels of anxiety was studied in different periods preceding a cognitive task - a visual expression recognition. Several conditions were investigated: background/eyes closed; background/eyes opened; listening the instruction for the cognitive task; operative rest (time lapse between listening the instruction and the beginning of the task), as well as short intervals immediately preceding the exposition of target stimuli (stage of preparation) - pairs of faces pictures with identical or different emotional expressions. At all these pre-task stages high-anxiety subjects exhibited much lower amplitude values in alpha and theta bands (as compared with low-anxiety subjects). The most prominent differences were revealed in the phases of instruction listening and operative rest. These data could provide more precise electrophysiological markers of anxiety level in conditions preceeding cognitive task performance.

Cerebral White Matter Changes in Young Healthy Individuals With High Trait Anxiety: A Tract-Based Spatial Statistics Study

Background: Abnormalities in prespecified and empirical white matter tracts in young patients with anxiety-related disorders have been reported in some diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies. However, with few literatures examining the association between the integrity of whole brain white matter and trait anxiety levels in the non-clinical populations, whether white matter changes arise in young healthy individuals with high trait anxiety remains unknown.Methods: We examined whole brain white matter alterations in young healthy individuals with high anxiety but without history of neurological or psychiatric disorders via DTI technology. Group comparison of tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was performed to investigate the microstructural diffusion alterations in 38 high anxious subjects in comparison with 34 low anxious subjects matched with age, gender, and degree of education. These analyses controlled for depression to establish specificity to trait anxiety.Results: Young healthy subjects with high trait anxiety had significantly decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) values in multiple clusters, including corona radiate (CR), anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), bilaterally, body, genu, and splenium of corpus callosum (CC) and forceps minor, compared with low trait anxious subjects. For the abnormal FA regions, the other diffusion metrics were also altered slightly.Conclusions: Non-clinical individuals with high anxiety already have white matter alterations in the thalamus-cortical circuit and some emotion-related areas that were widely reported in anxiety-related disorders. The altered white matter may be a vulnerability marker in individuals at high risk of clinical anxiety. These findings can deepen our understanding of the pathological mechanism of anxiety and further support the need for preventive interventions in high anxiety individuals.

Psychophysiological reactions to the task difficulty and pacing in subjects with a different anxiety level

A series of experiments were performed with the aim of looking into possible differences of the effects of task difficulty and pacing on some psychophysiological variables in subjects with a low and high level of anxiety. Two equivalent groups of nine subjects (except in anxiety level) performed computer generated numerical and perceptual tasks, where the numerical task had five different difficulty levels, while the perceptual tasks had three. Each of these were perfoemed by every subject under self-paced (unpaced) and paced working conditions. The levels of pacing were equal to the subject's unpaced working level, and 15% higher. The experimental situations were rotated according to the Latin Square principles.During the work on these (primary) tasks, the subject had to perform tapping as the secondary task. Their R-R intervals (sinus arrhythmia) were recorded continuously, together with the tapping intervals. After the completion of the task, the subjects wereasked to estimate the task difficulty on Borg's scale, and to assess it by squeezing a hand dynamometer without looking at its scale.The results showed some differences in the magnitude of certain psychophysiological parameters within the groups, which could be attributed to the effects of task difficulty and pacing.The work-load assessment parameters indicated, that the high anxiety group experienced the tasks and pacing as more strainous, than the low anxiety group. This is especilly true when estimations with a higher mental involvement had to be made. Secondary tasks parameters, however, indicated a smaller residual mental capacity in the group with high anxiety subjects which could represent an explanation of the results on the workload assessment.

Aberrant functional connectivity of resting state networks associated with trait anxiety

Trait anxiety, a personality dimension, has been characterized by functional consequences such as increased distractibility, attentional bias in favor of threat-related information and hyper-responsive amygdala. However, literature on the association between resting state brain functional connectivity, as studied using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), and reported anxiety levels in the sub-clinical population is limited. In the present study, we employed rs-fMRI to investigate the possible alterations in the functional integrity of Resting State Networks (RSNs) associated with trait anxiety of the healthy subjects (15 high anxious and 14 low anxious). The rs-fMRI data was analyzed using independent component analysis and a dual regression approach that was applied on 12 RSNs that were identified using FSL. High anxious subjects showed significantly reduced functional connectivity in regions of the default mode network (posterior cingulate gyrus, middle and superior temporal gyrus, planum polare, supramarginal gyrus, temporal pole, angular gyrus and lateral occipital gyrus) which has been suggested to be involved in episodic memory, theory of mind, self-evaluation, and introspection, and perceptual systems including medial visual network, auditory network and another network involving temporal, parieto-occipital and frontal regions. Reduction in resting state connectivity in regions of the perceptual networks might underlie the perceptual, attentional and working memory deficits associated with trait anxiety. To our knowledge, this is the first study to relate trait anxiety to resting state connectivity using independent component analysis.

On the existence of synchrostates in multichannel EEG signals during face-perception tasks

Phase synchronisation in multichannel electroencephalography (EEG) is known as the manifestation of functional brain connectivity. Traditional phase synchronisation studies are mostly based on time average synchrony measures, and hence do not preserve the temporal evolution of the phase difference. Here we propose a new method to show the existence of a small set of unique phase synchronised patterns or ‘states’ in multi-channel EEG recordings, each ‘state’ being stable of the order of ms, from typical and pathological subjects during face perception tasks. The proposed methodology bridges the concepts of EEG microstates and phase synchronisation in the time and frequency domain, respectively. The analysis is reported for four groups of children including typical, autism spectrum disorder, low and high anxiety subjects—a total of 44. In all cases, we observe consistent existence of these states—termed as synchrostates—within specific cognition-related frequency bands (beta and gamma bands), though the topographies of these synchrostates differ for different subject groups with different pathological conditions. The inter-synchrostate switching follows a well-defined sequence capturing the underlying inter-electrode phase relation dynamics in a stimulus- and person-centric manner. Our study is motivated by the well-known EEG microstate exhibiting stable potential maps over the scalp. However, here we report a similar observation of quasi-stable phase synchronised states in multichannel EEG. The existence of the synchrostates coupled with their unique switching sequence characteristics could be considered as a potentially new field over contemporary EEG phase synchronisation studies.

Treatment of fear of flying: behavioral, subjective, and cardiovascular effects.

Nonaviator fear of flying is a common problem usually managed with behaviorally oriented treatment. The unknown time courses of aspects of anxiety and of physiological response were investigated during a 3-d treatment including flights. Ratings, heart rate (HR), and heart rate variability (HRV; pNN10, pNN50) of 15 Moderate-Anxious and 9 High-Anxious subjects at critical epochs of treatment and on 2 actual flights, on which 9 Controls participated, were compared. All subjects took the flights and displayed a remarkably reduced fear when comparing pre- vs. post-treatment ratings. Repeated ratings showed an increase in relaxation and drops in general somatic and cognitive aspects of anxiety during flights. However, cognitive aspects in High-Anxious did not drop to the level of Controls. Level of anxiety was related to cardiovascular activity almost always during treatment and flights, in particular during takeoffs (average maximum HR of 137 bpm in High-Anxious compared to 118 bpm in Moderate-Anxious and 98 bpm in Controls in the first flight). Moderate-Anxious showed no obvious relationship of cardiovascular response to critical flight epochs, but had the lowest HRV on flights. Results indicate that anxiety in Moderate-Anxious is related to flight, but not to single critical epochs of flying, contrary to High-Anxious, for which higher ratings on cognitive aspects of anxiety associated with more physiological load at critical epochs were observed. However, HR and ratings showed a remarkable drop in both treatment groups, in particular in perceived physiological symptoms, indicating that the treatment facilitates coping of fear of flying.

Conditioned fear in low- and high-anxious rats is differentially regulated by cortical subcortical and midbrain 5-HT1A receptors

Interactions between the prelimbic cortex and the basolateral amygdala underlie fear memory processing, mostly through acquiring and consolidating the learning of a conditioned fear. More recently, studies highlighted the role of the dorsal periaqueductal gray (DPAG) in the modulation of learning fear responses. In addition, extensive data in the literature have signaled the importance of serotonin (5-HT) on fear and anxiety. In the present study, the role of 5-HT neurotransmission of the prelimbic cortex, basolateral amygdala or the DPAG on the unconditioned and conditioned fear responses in rats previously selected as low- (LA) or high-anxious (HA) were assessed through local infusions of 5-HT itself (10nmol/0.2μl) or the selective 5-HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin (8-OH-DPAT – 0.3μg/0.2μl). Behavioral analysis was conducted using the fear-potentiated startle (FPS) procedure. Dependent variables recorded were the latency and amplitude of the unconditioned startle response and FPS. Our findings suggest that, on the prelimbic cortex, 5-HT modulates the expression of conditioned fear response in HA rats and this modulation is dependent on 5-HT1A receptors. This is not true, however, for the basolateral amygdala or the DPAG. In these regions LA but not HA rats were susceptible to the anxiolytic-like effect of 5-HT1A receptor activation. It is thought that the expression of conditioned fear in HA subjects may be dependent on other 5-HT receptors, as the 5-HT1B subtype, and/or changes in other systems such as the GABA and glutamate neurotransmitters. These results increase our understanding of the rostrocaudal influence of 5-HT on the unconditioned and conditioned fear responses in LA and HA subjects and, to some extent, are in disagreement with the theoretical current that emphasizes the role of 5-HT on anxiety, mainly at the subcortical and midbrain levels.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation modulates left premotor cortex activity in facial expression recognition as a function of anxiety level

AbstractRecognition of emotional facial expressions is based on simulation and mirroring processes, and the premotor cortex is supposed to support this simulation mechanism. The role of this prefrontal area in processing emotional faces with different valence (anger, fear, happiness and neutral) was explored taking into account the effect of the lateralization model (more right-side activation for negative emotions; more left-side activation for positive emotions) of face processing and anxiety level (high vs low). High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS, 10 Hz) was applied to the left prefrontal area to induce an increased activation response within the left premotor cortex. Twenty-nine subjects, who were divided into two different groups depending on their anxiety level (high/low anxiety; State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI), were asked to detect emotion / no emotion. Accuracy (AcI) and response times (RTs) were considered in response to the experimental conditions. A general significant increased performance was found in response to positive emotions in the case of left-side stimulation. Moreover, whereas high-anxiety subjects revealed a significant negative-valence bias in absence of stimulation, they showed a more significant AcI increasing and RTs decreasing in response to positive emotions in case of left premotor brain activation. The present results highlight the role of the premotor system for facial expression processing as a function of emotional type, supporting the existence of a valence-specific lateralized system within the prefrontal area. Finally, a sort of “restoring effect” induced by TMS was suggested for high-anxiety subjects.

Interaction effects of the COMT and DRD4 genes with anxiety-related traits on selective attention.

The study investigated whether the DRD4 and COMT genes can modify relations between trait anxiety and selective attention. Two hundreds and sixty-six subjects performed a visual search task in which they had to find words looking through a sheet with rows of letters. After finishing the first sheet the subject was presented the second one, this time with an instruction to perform the task as quickly and accurate as possible. To study top-down attention, the number of correctly identified words (accuracy) and the time for completion of each trial were analyzed. To study bottom-up attention, the letters 'o' and 'n' were written in green, whilst the others were in black, and subjects were asked whether they had noticed that 2-3 minutes after the task completion. Genotypes for the COMT Val158Met and DRD4 VNTR-48 polymorphisms and TCI Harm Avoidance and MMPI Depression scales' scores were obtained as well. High anxious individuals showed a more pronounced increase in accuracy in the second trial and more profound processing of irrelevant stimuli (colored letters). There was a significant interaction effect of DRD4 and Harm avoidance on the accuracy dynamics F(1, 210), = 7.65, p = .006, η2 = .04. Among DRD4 long allele carriers, high anxious subjects significantly improved accuracy (p = .013) and tended to slow speed, while those with lower Harm avoidance demonstrated the opposite trend. These effects were more robust in less educated individuals. It was concluded that the DRD4 polymorphism may modify the influence of trait anxiety on the speed-accuracy tradeoff.

Repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improves performance in emotional memory retrieval as a function of level of anxiety and stimulus valence

Anxiety behavior showed a consistent attentional bias toward negative and aversive memories, induced by a right frontal cortical superiority, based on an unbalance effect between the two hemispheres. The aim of the present study was to explore the role of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in the memory retrieval process of positive versus negative emotional stimulus, as a function of anxiety level. A repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) paradigm was used to induce cortical activation of the left DLPFC. Subjects (n = 27; age range, 21-36 years), who were divided into two different groups (high/low anxiety; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), were required to perform a task consisting of two experimental phases: an encoding phase (lists composed of positive and negative emotional words); and a retrieval phase (old stimuli and new stimuli to be recognized). Moreover, new stimuli (distractors) semantically related or unrelated to the old stimuli were used to test a possible interference effect induced by the semantic association. rTMS over the left DLPFC affects memory retrieval. High-anxiety subjects benefited in greater measure from frontal left stimulation with a reduced negative bias (increased accuracy and reduced response time for the positive stimuli) and a significant increased performance for the semantically related distractors (reduced interference effect). Left DLPFC activation favors the memory retrieval of positive emotional information and might limit the unbalance effect induced by right hemispheric superiority in high levels of anxiety.

464 A Placebo-Controlled Study of Clonidine on Symptoms in Women With Fecal Incontinence

Abnormalities in rectal compliance have been identified in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), wherein patients exhibit decreased rectal compliance in response to experimental distention (Kwan CL, et al. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2004; Shroff S, et al. DDW 2012). However, these differences in rectal physiology are not uniformly present in all IBS subjects. We sought to examine whether psychiatric comorbidity (e.g., depression, anxiety) in IBS has mechanistic relevance to rectal compliance. We hypothesized that dysregulation of autonomic tone inherent in mood disorders leads to decreased rectal compliance in IBS patients. Methods: 38 female subjects (43.6 ±11.1 yrs; 22 Rome III IBS/16 healthy controls) were recruited. Measures of mood (Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories, [BDI, BAI]) and somatization (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-15]) were collected. Both groups underwent 4 series of 6 pseudo-randomized, barostat-controlled rectal distentions using either high pressure (HPD, 50 mmHg) or low pressure (LPD, 25 mmHg) delivery. Dynamic rectal compliances (ΔV/ΔP) were derived from the ascending phase of the distention. Multivariate linear regression was employed to determine whether psychiatric comorbidity independently influenced rectal compliance. Results: Dynamic rectal compliance was significantly lower in IBS vs. controls for both LPD (8.1±1.8 vs. 9.4±1.6 ml/mmHg; p=0.03) and HPD (6.0±1.1 vs. 7.0±1.1 ml/mmHg; p =0.01). High ratings in anxiety (BAI≥16), depression (BDI≥14) and somatization (PHQ-15≥15) were identified in 31.8%, 40.9%, and 50.0% of IBS subjects, respectively. In high anxiety subjects, rectal compliance was significantly diminished with HPD (5.6±0.8 vs. 6.7±1.1 ml/mmHg; p =0.008), and trended lower during LPD (7.9±1.5 vs. 8.8±1.8 ml/ mmHg, P=0.18). High depression scores were also associated with decreased rectal compliance with HPD (5.6±1.0 vs. 6.8±1.2, p=0.02) and trended toward lower compliance during LPD (8.1±1.5 vs. 8.8±1.8 ml/mmHg, P=0.2). In contrast, degree of somatization did not influence rectal compliance with either distention stimulus (P.0.20 for each). Multivariate analyses suggested the effects of anxiety on rectal compliance were independent of IBS during HPD (B=-0.04, p=0.06), but not LPD (B=-0.008, p=0.8). Depression and somatization had no effect on rectal compliance independent of IBS at either pressure level (p .0.15 for each).Conclusions: Decreased dynamic rectal compliance is observed in IBS with both low pressure and high pressure rectal distensions. Mood symptoms common to IBS also are associated with diminished rectal compliance, particularly withmore noxious stimuli. Anxiety appears to influence rectal compliance independent of the functional GI diagnosis itself, an effect potentially mediated by sympathetic autonomic regulation of intestinal motor function.

466 A Novel Portable Device to Measure Anorectal Pressures: Comparison With High Resolution Manometry

Abnormalities in rectal compliance have been identified in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), wherein patients exhibit decreased rectal compliance in response to experimental distention (Kwan CL, et al. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2004; Shroff S, et al. DDW 2012). However, these differences in rectal physiology are not uniformly present in all IBS subjects. We sought to examine whether psychiatric comorbidity (e.g., depression, anxiety) in IBS has mechanistic relevance to rectal compliance. We hypothesized that dysregulation of autonomic tone inherent in mood disorders leads to decreased rectal compliance in IBS patients. Methods: 38 female subjects (43.6 ±11.1 yrs; 22 Rome III IBS/16 healthy controls) were recruited. Measures of mood (Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories, [BDI, BAI]) and somatization (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-15]) were collected. Both groups underwent 4 series of 6 pseudo-randomized, barostat-controlled rectal distentions using either high pressure (HPD, 50 mmHg) or low pressure (LPD, 25 mmHg) delivery. Dynamic rectal compliances (ΔV/ΔP) were derived from the ascending phase of the distention. Multivariate linear regression was employed to determine whether psychiatric comorbidity independently influenced rectal compliance. Results: Dynamic rectal compliance was significantly lower in IBS vs. controls for both LPD (8.1±1.8 vs. 9.4±1.6 ml/mmHg; p=0.03) and HPD (6.0±1.1 vs. 7.0±1.1 ml/mmHg; p =0.01). High ratings in anxiety (BAI≥16), depression (BDI≥14) and somatization (PHQ-15≥15) were identified in 31.8%, 40.9%, and 50.0% of IBS subjects, respectively. In high anxiety subjects, rectal compliance was significantly diminished with HPD (5.6±0.8 vs. 6.7±1.1 ml/mmHg; p =0.008), and trended lower during LPD (7.9±1.5 vs. 8.8±1.8 ml/ mmHg, P=0.18). High depression scores were also associated with decreased rectal compliance with HPD (5.6±1.0 vs. 6.8±1.2, p=0.02) and trended toward lower compliance during LPD (8.1±1.5 vs. 8.8±1.8 ml/mmHg, P=0.2). In contrast, degree of somatization did not influence rectal compliance with either distention stimulus (P.0.20 for each). Multivariate analyses suggested the effects of anxiety on rectal compliance were independent of IBS during HPD (B=-0.04, p=0.06), but not LPD (B=-0.008, p=0.8). Depression and somatization had no effect on rectal compliance independent of IBS at either pressure level (p .0.15 for each).Conclusions: Decreased dynamic rectal compliance is observed in IBS with both low pressure and high pressure rectal distensions. Mood symptoms common to IBS also are associated with diminished rectal compliance, particularly withmore noxious stimuli. Anxiety appears to influence rectal compliance independent of the functional GI diagnosis itself, an effect potentially mediated by sympathetic autonomic regulation of intestinal motor function.

Left DLPFC rTMS stimulation reduced the anxiety bias effect or how to restore the positive memory processing in high-anxiety subjects

In the present research we explored the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in memory retrieval process of positive vs. negative emotional stimulus, as a function of the anxiety levels. Anxiety behavior showed a consistent attentional bias toward negative and aversive memories, induced by a right frontal cortical superiority. This effect was analyzed by using a rTMS paradigm that induced a cortical activation of the left DLPFC. Subjects, who were divided in two different groups depending on their anxiety level (high/low-anxiety, State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory, STAI), were required to perform a task consisting of two experimental phases: an encoding-phase, where some lists composed by positive and negative emotional words were presented to the subjects; and a retrieval-phase, where the old stimuli and new stimuli were presented for a recognition performance. We found that the rTMS stimulation affects the memory retrieval of emotional material. High-anxiety subjects benefit in greater measure from the left DLPFC stimulation with a reduced negative bias. This result suggested that left DLPFC activation favors the memory retrieval of positive emotional information and might limit the “unbalance effect” induced by a right hemispheric superiority at a high level of anxiety. The potentiality of TMS for anxiety behavior modulation was also discussed.

Phonetics Learning Anxiety – Results of a Preliminary Study

The main aim of this paper is to verify the assumption that pronunciation learning during a course of phonetics is hindered by the feeling of anxiety (Phonetics Learning Anxiety) experienced by foreign language (FL) learners studying English as their major at universities or colleges. A study carried out among 32 students of the School of English at Wroclaw University (Poland) revealed a significant negative correlation of moderate strength between the subjects’ level of Phonetics Learning Anxiety (PhLA) and their attainments on pronunciation tests (sentence, passage and word reading) conducted after a 45-hour (30x90-minute lessons) course of practical phonetics. The detrimental effect of PhLA on pronunciation learning was further supported by t-tests, in which the pronunciation of high anxiety subjects was found to be at a significantly lower level than that of low anxiety students. The Phonetics Learning Anxiety Scale, a 44-item questionnaire based on a 6-point Likert scale, designed for the purpose of the research sheds light on the nature of this peculiar type of apprehension experienced by advanced FL learners in a specific educational context (i.e. a traditional classroom, rather than a language or computer laboratory), in which the major focus is on pronunciation practice. The obtained quantitative data imply that such factors as fear of negative evaluation (represented by general oral performance apprehension and concern over pronunciation mistakes, pronunciation self-image, pronunciation self-efficacy and self-assessment) and beliefs about the nature of FL pronunciation learning are significant sources of PhLA. Anxiety about the transcription test (IPA Test Anxiety) - one of the other hypothetical determinants of PhLA - did not prove to be correlated with the general level of Phonetics Learning Anxiety.

RTMS STIMULATION ON LEFT DLPFC AFFECTS EMOTIONAL CUE RETRIEVAL AS A FUNCTION OF ANXIETY LEVEL AND GENDER

Anxiety behaviour showed a consistent attentional bias toward negative and aversive memories, induced by a right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) hyperactivation. In the present research, we explored the possible effect of rTMS (repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation) on the left DLPFC in memory retrieval of positive versus negative emotional words, to induce a balanced response between the two hemispheres. Moreover, the gender effect in emotional memory processing was verified as a function of the stimulus valence. Thirty subjects, who were divided in two different groups depending on their anxiety level (high/low anxiety, State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI)), were required to perform a task consisting of two experimental phases: an encoding phase (lists composed by positive and negative emotional words); and a retrieval phase (old stimuli and new stimuli to be recognized). We found that the rTMS stimulation over left DLPFC affects the memory retrieval. Specifically, high-anxiety subjects benefitted in greater measure to the frontal left stimulation with a reduced negative bias (increased accuracy and reduced response time (RT) for the positive stimuli). Whereas females showed a significant bias toward the negative memories, they did not benefit in greater measure to the TMS stimulation on the left hemisphere. These results suggested that left DLPFC activation favors the memory retrieval of positive emotional information and may limit the "unbalance effect" induced by a right frontal hemispheric superiority in high levels of anxiety.

The time course of autonomic parameters and muscle tension during recovery following a moderate cognitive stressor: Dependency on trait anxiety level

It has proved difficult to demonstrate the differences in physiological response in individuals with contrasting trait anxiety levels. The purpose of this study was to examine tonic autonomic activity and muscle tension in male subjects with different levels of trait anxiety during and especially after a stressful situation. Twenty-eight low anxiety (LA) and thirty-one high anxiety (HA) individuals performed a video-recorded Stroop color-word interference test. Heart rate, skin conductance level, finger temperature, electromyographic activity of gastrocnemius and trapezius muscles were recorded; state anxiety and valence of thought content were assessed. Physiological activity increased during the stressful situation, whatever the group. However, prolonged gastrocnemius muscle tension and prolonged decrease in finger temperature were found in HA subjects after the stressful situation, but not in LA subjects. These results suggest that physiological recovery following a moderate cognitive stressor could depend on trait anxiety level.

Slow Breathing and Emotions Associated with Odor-Induced Autobiographical Memories

An important feature of olfactory perception is its dependence on respiratory activity. By inspiration, olfactory information ascends directly to olfactory-related limbic structures. Therefore, every breath with odor molecules activates these limbic areas associated with emotional experience and memory retrieval. We tested whether odors associated with autobiographical memories can trigger pleasant emotional experiences and whether respiration changes during stimulation with these odors. During presentation of odors related to autobiographical memories and control odors, we measured minute ventilation, tidal volume, respiratory frequency, O2 consumption, and end tidal CO2 concentration. Findings showed that autobiographical memory retrieval was associated with increasing tidal volume and decreasing respiratory frequency more than during presentation of control odors. Subjective feelings such as emotional arousal during retrieval of the memory, arousal level of the memory itself, or pleasantness and familiarity toward the odor evoked by autobiographical memory were more specific emotional responses compared with those related to control odors. In addition, high trait anxiety subjects responded with a stronger feeling of being taken back in time and had high arousal levels with tidal volume increases. We discussed assumptions regarding how deep and slow breathing is related to pleasantness and comfortableness of an autobiographical memory.