Arousal Level Research Articles

Predicting the presence of tinnitus using ecological momentary assessments

Mobile applications have gained popularity in healthcare in recent years. These applications are an increasingly important pillar of public health care, as they open up new possibilities for data collection and can lead to new insights into various diseases and disorders thanks to modern data analysis approaches. In this context, Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) is a commonly used research method that aims to assess phenomena with a focus on ecological validity and to help both the user and the researcher observe these phenomena over time. One phenomenon that benefits from this capability is the chronic condition tinnitus. TrackYourTinnitus (TYT) is an EMA-based mobile crowdsensing platform designed to provide more insight into tinnitus by repeatedly assessing various dimensions of tinnitus, including perception (i.e., perceived presence). Because the presence of tinnitus is the dimension that is of great importance to chronic tinnitus patients and changes over time in many tinnitus patients, we seek to predict the presence of tinnitus based on the not directly related dimensions of mood, stress level, arousal, and concentration level that are captured in TYT. In this work, we analyzed a dataset of 45,935 responses to a harmonized EMA questionnaire using different machine learning techniques. In addition, we considered five different subgroups after consultation with clinicians to further validate our results. Finally, we were able to predict the presence of tinnitus with an accuracy of up to 78% and an AUC of up to 85.7%.

Assessment of the effect of mindfulness monotherapy on sexual dysfunction symptoms and sex-related quality of life in women.

Mindfulness-based therapies (MBTs) are frequently used in the treatment of sexual dysfunctions. So far, there has not been sufficient evidence for the effectiveness of interventions based on mindfulness monotherapy. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of mindfulness monotherapy on the reduction of sexual dysfunction symptoms and sex-related quality of life. We conducted 4 weeks of MBT for 2 groups of heterosexual females: 1 with psychogenic sexual dysfunction (WSD) and 1 with no sexual dysfunction (NSD). Overall 93 women were recruited for the study. We collected data via an online survey regarding sexual satisfaction, sexual dysfunctions, and mindfulness-related features at baseline, 1 week after MBT, and follow-up 12weeks after MBT. Research tools included the Female Sexual Function Index, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire. Participating in the mindfulness program had a positive effect on women with and without sexual dysfunction. The overall risk for sexual dysfunction decreased from 90.6% at baseline to 46.7% at follow-up in the WSD group and from 32.5% at baseline to 6.9% at follow-up in the NSD group. Participants in the WSD group reported a significant increase in levels of sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm between measurements, although not in the pain domain. Participants in the NSD group reported a significant increase in the level of sexual desire between measurements but not in levels of arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and pain. A significant increase in sex-related quality of life was observed in both groups. The results of the study have a chance to translate into an introduction of a new therapeutic program for specialists and more effective help offered to women experiencing sexual dysfunctions. This mindfulness monotherapy research project, which included assessment of meditation "homework," is the first to verify the potential of MBT in reducing symptoms of psychogenic sexual dysfunctions among heterosexual females. Major limitations include the lack of randomization, an adequate control group, and a validated measure of sexual distress. The applied training was beneficial in the treatment of sexual dysfunctions in terms of increasing desire and arousal as well as the ability to reach orgasm. However, this approach needs more investigation before it can be recommended in the treatment of sexual dysfunction. The study should be replicated under a more rigorous research design, including adequate control groups and random allocation of participants to study conditions.

Shades of green for living walls – experiences of color contrast and its implication for aesthetic and psychological benefits

Living (green) walls are nature-based solutions (NbS) that can be an important environmental and social contributor within urban environments, but there are important knowledge gaps remaining in understanding their psychological benefits. In planning processes, aesthetic thinking is incorporated to improve attractiveness, health, and well-being outcomes in urban greenery solutions. However, in contrast to the wealth of research on well-established green infrastructure like urban parks, there is a knowledge gap for recently created ecosystems such as living walls and green roofs with respect to the relationship between aesthetic value, species composition, and psychological benefits. In order to increase this knowledge base this study explores human experiences of color characteristics on living walls, and the implementation of living walls for improving human health and well-being. We used a color theory framework in the development of graphical color contrast combinations designed by various green shades, and tested each color concept combination on human judgement of affective qualities. The results showed that living walls, designed through color contrast principles, have the potential to be comprehensively designed from an aesthetic aspect and be highly valued by people. However, the results indicate that perceived color contrasts may also reduce levels of arousal and human experiences of pleasantness. While more work on this topic is needed, this study has shown the importance of emphasising awareness of the color aspect in the design of nature-based solutions, to improve delivery of positive human psychological benefits.

Effects of caffeine intake and performance pressure on working memory

Performance pressure and caffeine consumption, a common combination in daily life, have both been shown to affect cognitive performance. However, previous research has not fully elucidated the extent to which the effects of caffeine and performance pressure impact cognitive function, especially working memory. This study aims to examine the possibility that caffeine can enhance working memory performance under pressure. A total of 61 participants aged 18 to 32 participated, divided into four groups. Experiment-based data collection was conducted with a single-blind design. Working memory was measured by Modular Arithmetic Tasks with the OpenSesame program. All participants were asked to perform arithmetic tasks and arousal levels were measured using the Galvanic Skin Response (GSR). The findings revealed no evidence of an interaction effect of caffeine intake and performance pressure on working memory (F= .632, p= .431,hp2= .012). Given the prevalence of caffeine intake prior to facing high-pressure situations, the consumption of a cup of coffee does not improve cognitive performance as many would expect. However, caffeine intake had a stabilizing effect on the skin conductance response values during performance under pressure. Clinical psychologists can use a daily dose of caffeine as an alternative intervention or preventative measure to help patients reduce performance pressure-related anxiety.

Updated review on successful control with nicotine replacement therapy for nicotine withdrawal symptoms

Nicotine use as a tool for quitting smoking has a good safety history. Animal studies suggest that nicotine may adversely affect cognitive development in adolescence, but the relevance of these findings to human brain development is disputed. At low amounts, it has a mild analgesic effect. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, "nicotine is not generally considered to be a carcinogen." The Surgeon General of the United States indicates that evidence is inadequate to infer the presence or absence of a causal relationship between exposure to nicotine and risk for cancer. Tobacco is dangerous. According to one study trusted source, smoking-related diseases are responsible for about 4,35,000 deaths per year in the United States. That’s about 1 in every 5 deaths in the United States. Stopping smoking, no matter how long you have smoked, can greatly benefit your health. Nicotine creates pleasant feelings in the body and mind. When you use tobacco, your brain releases neurotransmitters such dopamine, the feel-good chemical. This creates a brief feeling of contentment and pleasure. In humans, nicotine from tobacco induces stimulation and pleasure, and reduces stress and anxiety. Smokers come to use nicotine to modulate their level of arousal and for mood control in daily life. Smoking may improve concentration, reaction time, and performance of certain tasks. When a person stops smoking, nicotine withdrawal symptoms emerge. These include irritability, depressed mood, restlessness, anxiety, problems getting along with friends and family, difficulty concentrating, increased hunger and eating, insomnia, and craving for tobacco. Nicotine withdrawal in untreated smokers produces mood disturbances comparable in intensity to those seen in psychiatric out patients. Generally it has been found that nicotine replacement therapies actually give you small amounts of nicotine through a product like gum or a skin patch. While you’ll continue to get some nicotine in your system, you won’t be exposed to any of the other harmful chemicals that are found in tobacco.

0749 Adolescents’ Self-Reported Insomnia, Subjective Experiences And Objective Sleep Measures During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Introduction Studies examining adolescents’ sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic yielded inconsistent results, with some studies finding a significant increase in insomnia symptoms but others finding no change. A majority of these studies used retrospective or concurrent reports of insomnia symptoms and did not include objective sleep measures, making it impossible to know the extent to which the reported symptoms were associated with actual sleep patterns. In addition, these studies did not account for factors that might have biased adolescents’ subjective reporting of insomnia such as negative emotions or high levels of pre-bedtime cognitive arousal. The goal of the present study was to examine the associations of self-reported symptoms of insomnia among typically developing adolescents with their emotional experiences, cognitive arousal at bedtime, and objective sleep measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Participants. Seventy-six adolescents (33 female, M(SD) age = 13.74(0.87) years). Procedure. Each participant’s sleep pattern was assessed in the home environment using actigraphy and a sleep log for seven consecutive nights in 2021. Adolescents provided information regarding their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic using the COVID-19 Adolescent Symptom & Psychological Experience (CASPE) questionnaire; information regarding their arousal at bedtime using the Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale and information regarding the insomnia symptoms using the Insomnia Severity Index. Results Principal-component analysis produced a three-factor solution for the CASPE labeled as Negative-Anxious, Negative-Angry and Positive Emotions. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the cross-sectional associations among adolescents’ emotional responses and subjective and objective sleep measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being a girl, reporting high level of pre-bedtime cognitive arousal and high Negative-Anxious emotions accounted the explained variance in adolescents’ self-reported insomnia symptoms. Actigraphy measured sleep efficiency, latency or duration did not increase significantly the explained variance. Conclusion These findings suggest that documentation of adolescents’ insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic might have captured adolescents’ negative emotions rather than their objective sleep patterns. Limitations The cross-sectional design of this study limits the ability to determine causality. Support (if any) CIHR, SSHRC

0409 Is insomnia with objective short sleep duration related to insufficient sleep drive or physiological hyperarousal?

Abstract Introduction IInsomnia with objective short sleep duration (OSSD) was found to be associated with higher risks of cardiometabolic disorders, and was therefore proposed to be a phenotype associated with higher physiological hyperarousal. Previous studies further reported that insomnia with OSSD had higher autonomic arousal as measured by heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep. Since sleep duration could be determined by the interplay of arousal and sleep drive and HRV during sleep could be influenced by sleep staging and quality, the present study examined the level of arousal and sleep drive prior to sleep with EEG power and HRV to further understand the phenotyping of insomnia. Methods Ninety-four insomnia patients participated in the study and went through one night of 8-hour PSG recording. They were divided, with a cut-off of PSG total sleep time of 6 hours, into two groups: an OSSD group (N=26; mean age=37.0 ±10.3; M:F=7:19; TST=286.21±87.21 min) and an objective normal sleep duration (ONSD) group (N=68, mean age=32.95 ±10.05, M:F=12: 56, TST=414.4±28.9 min). Resting-state EEG and EKG were recorded for a 6-min period, 3-min eye-opened (EO) with fixation focus and 3 mins eye-closed (EC), prior to bedtime. Results T-tests showed no significant difference in HRV measures (SDNN, RMSD, LF, HF, LF/HF) between the two groups, but shorter R-R interval for OSSD group than ONSD group. Mann-Whitney tests for EEG power showed significantly lower theta power at F3, F4, C3, C4, and O2, and higher sigma power at F3, C3, C4, O1, and O2 during EC, as well as lower theta power at C3 and higher sigma power at O2 during EO for OSSD group in comparison to ONSD group. Conclusion The results partially support that insomnia with OSSD is associated with physiological hyperarousal as indicated by faster heart rate and higher high frequency EEG power prior to sleep. However, the lower EEG theta power prior to sleep suggest that lower homeostatic sleep drive may also play a role for the insomnia with short objective sleep duration. Support (if any) Supported by Taiwan National Science and Technology Council

0122 Sleep Moderates Arousal and Executive Functioning in Autistic Children

Abstract Introduction Arousal dysregulation (over- or under-arousal) and executive functioning (EF) difficulties are positively correlated and often experienced by autistic children. Arousal and task performance (e.g., EF) are connected, such that there is an optimal arousal level for an optimal performance and arousal dysregulation reduces task performance. Up to 80% of autistic children experience sleep problems, and sleep problems are positively correlated with arousal dysregulation and EF difficulties. Thus, sleep may moderate the relationship between arousal and EF in autistic children. Given that sleep is modifiable through behavioral sleep treatment, it is important to better understand these relationships in autistic children. This study examined whether subjective and objective sleep moderated the relationship between HRV and EF among autistic children. Methods Children with autism spectrum disorder (N=65), verbal IQ >70, and parent reported sleep complaints (Mage=8.95, SD=2.01, range 6-12; 74% male) completed 14 days of sleep diaries (with parental assistance) and actigraphy, Holter Monitoring (8-mins at rest), and the Connor’s Continuous Performance Test (CPT)-III (ages 8+) or Connor’s Kiddie CPT-II (ages 4-7.11). Multiple regressions (SPSS PROCESS) examined whether sleep (subjective/objective wake after sleep onset-WASO, total sleep time-TST) moderated associations between arousal (standard deviation of normal-to-normal R-R-intervals-SDNN, proportion of adjacent R-R intervals differing by >50 ms-PNN50) and EF (CPT-perseverations, omissions, commissions). Analyses controlled for age. Results Objective WASO moderated associations between SDNN and CPT-perseverations (R2=.27, p=.03). At highest WASO, higher SDNN was associated with greater perseverations, t(1,65)=5.00, p=.029. Subjective TST moderated associations between PNN50 and CPT-perseverations (R2=.32, p=.01). At highest TST, higher PNN50 was associated with greater perseverations t(1,65)=4.27, p=.04. Conclusion When autistic children sleep more and have greater sleep fragmentation, EF may suffer (i.e., greater response repetition) if arousal is not high enough. While our finding for sleep fragmentation (indicative of poor sleep) is consistent with existing literature, that for greater sleep (indicative of better sleep) is not. This suggests the relationships amongst these constructs are complex in autism, and more research using longitudinal and experimental methodology and perhaps even examining other aspects of TST (e.g., variability) are needed. Support (if any) DOD Autism Research Program (McCrae, PI; W81XWH2010399); NIAMS (R01AR055160/R01AR005160- S1; P1,McCrae).

How high-intensity sensory consumption fills up resource scarcity: The boundary condition of self-acceptance.

Everyone in life will experience resource scarcity, which causes self-discrepancy. It is widely known that individuals participate in reactive consumption to solve the problems of self-discrepancy and resources scarcity. This kind of consumption may be symbolically related to the essence of the resource scarcity or may occur in an unrelated domain. This study proposes a theory for "filling up" one's resource scarcity through high-intensity sensory consumption (HISC). We used different methods, including one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regression, mediating effect, and moderating effect, to test the four hypotheses. Four experiments in the study were conducted from May 2022 and August 2022 and involved undergraduates from a university and volunteers recruited online. All participants are adults and verbally agree to participate voluntarily. Study 1a (N = 96 (male 47, female 49), participants from a business school in China) measured resource scarcity in the laboratory experiments and verified the effect of resource scarcity on consumer HISC preference by using linear regression (H1). Study 1b (N = 191 (male 98, female 93), students and teachers from a university in China) measured resource scarcity in the laboratory experiments and manipulated positively and negatively valenced experiences. Using the PROCESS SPSS Mode l, we verified that negatively valenced stimuli also lead to higher levels of arousal, which in turn restores the self-discrepancy caused by resource scarcity (H2). Study 2 (an online experiment, N = 182 (male 91, female 91), participants from China) manipulated the resource scarcity in a color sensory stimulant context, replicating the preliminary effect and examined the mediating effect of the self-worth by using the PROCESS SPSS Mode 4 (H3). Study 3 (an online experiment, N = 251 (male 125, female 126), participants from China) manipulated resource scarcity and self-acceptance in the tactile sensory experience, and tested the moderating effect of self-acceptance by using the PROCESS SPSS Mode 8 (H4). Four studies suggest that not only do individuals facing resources scarcity prefer HISC but also that this consumption is mediated and moderated by self-worth and self-acceptance, respectively. This preference for HISC is negated when individuals have high self-acceptance traits. The findings are tested in the auditory domain (as evidenced by a propensity for louder volume), the visual domain (as evidenced by a propensity for more intense colors), and the tactile domain (as evidenced by a propensity for more intense need for touch). The findings also demonstrate that individual preferences for HISC is shown to operate regardless of the valence (positive valence vs. negative valence) of the sensory consumption. Across four experiments, we find that individuals who are subjected to resource scarcity show a preference for high-intensity sensory consumption in the auditory, visual, and tactile domains. We also find that both negatively and positively valenced sensory stimuli have the same impact on resource-scarce individuals' preference for HISC. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the sense of self-worth significantly mediates the effect of resource scarcity on HISC. Finally, we reveal that self-acceptance moderates the effect of resource scarcity on HISC preference.

The impact of non-driving related tasks on the development of driver sleepiness and takeover performances in prolonged automated driving

Introduction: Vehicle automation is thought to improve road safety since numerous accidents are caused by human error. However, the lack of active involvement and monotonous driving environments due to automation may contribute to drivers' passive fatigue and sleepiness. Previous research indicated that non-driving related tasks (NDRTs) were beneficial in maintaining drivers’ arousal levels but detrimental to takeover performance. Method: A 3·2 mixed design (between subjects: driving condition; within subjects: takeover orders) simulator experiment was conducted to explore the development of driver sleepiness in prolonged automated driving context and the effect of NDRTs on driver sleepiness development, and to further evaluate the impact of driver sleepiness and NDRTs on takeover performance. Sixty-three participants were randomly assigned to three driving conditions, each lasting 60 min: automated driving while performing driving environment monitoring task; visual NDRTs task; and visual NDRTs with scheduled driving environment monitoring task. Two hazardous events occurring at about the 5th and 55th min needed to be handled during the respective driving. Results: Drivers performing monitoring tasks had a faster development of driver sleepiness than drivers in the other two conditions in terms of both subjective and objective indicators. Takeover performance of drivers performing monitoring task were undermined due to driver sleepiness in terms of braking and steering reaction times, the time between saccade latency and braking or steering reaction times, and so forth. Additionally, NDRTs impaired the drivers’ takeover ability in terms of saccade latency, max braking pedal input, max steering velocity, minimum time to collision, and so forth. This study shows that NDRTs with scheduled road environment monitoring task improve takeover performance during prolonged automated driving by helping to maintain driver alertness. Practical Applications: Findings from this work provide some technical assistance in the development of driver sleepiness monitoring systems for conditionally automated vehicles.

Processing negative autobiographical memories in a foreign language.

The use of a foreign language has been introduced in the clinical setting as a form of emotional distance to help deal with negative experiences. However, the evidence of foreign language reducing emotionality during processing negative events is still scarce. This study aims to test whether the description and processing of a traumatic or highly emotional event in a foreign language could modulate the strength of the connection between traumatic symptomatology and emotional reaction. For this purpose, a sample of 128 healthy participants completed a series of questionnaires via an online platform. Firstly, their levels of distress, arousal and valence were assessed in their native language. Secondly, they were assigned to either the native language or the foreign language group and described a negative childhood event in the assigned language (English or Spanish), followed by five questions for processing the event. Next, their emotionality was assessed again in their native language. Finally, a questionnaire of traumatic stress symptoms and an avoidance scale were completed. Results showed that the relationship between traumatic symptomatology and emotionality was moderated by the language of processing the negative event. Specifically, traumatic symptomatology was more strongly associated with distress and arousal change when the processing task was performed in the native language. These findings suggest the influence of a foreign language on emotional reactivity when a negative experience is processed, which could be an essential tool in the treatment of disorders related to stress and trauma.

A possible contribution of the locus coeruleus to arousal enhancement with mild exercise: evidence from pupillometry and neuromelanin imaging.

Acute mild exercise has been observed to facilitate executive function and memory. A possible underlying mechanism of this is the upregulation of the ascending arousal system, including the catecholaminergic system originating from the locus coeruleus (LC). Prior work indicates that pupil diameter, as an indirect marker of the ascending arousal system, including the LC, increases even with very light-intensity exercise. However, it remains unclear whether the LC directly contributes to exercise-induced pupil-linked arousal. Here, we examined the involvement of the LC in the change in pupil dilation induced by very light-intensity exercise using pupillometry and neuromelanin imaging to assess the LC integrity. A sample of 21 young males performed 10min of very light-intensity exercise, and we measured changes in the pupil diameters and psychological arousal levels induced by the exercise. Neuromelanin-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans were also obtained. We observed that pupil diameter and psychological arousal levels increased during very light-intensity exercise, which is consistent with previous findings. Notably, the LC contrast, a marker of LC integrity, predicted the magnitude of pupil dilation and psychological arousal enhancement with exercise. These relationships suggest that the LC-catecholaminergic system is a potential a mechanism for pupil-linked arousal induced by very light-intensity exercise.

On the relationship of arousal and attentional distraction by emotional novel sounds

Unexpected and task-irrelevant sounds can impair performance in a task. It has been shown that highly arousing emotional distractor sounds impaired performance less compared to moderately arousing neutral distractor sounds. The present study tests whether these differential emotion-related distraction effects are directly related to an enhancement of arousal evoked by processing of emotional distractor sounds.We disentangled costs of orienting of attention and benefits of increased arousal levels during the presentation of highly arousing emotional and moderately arousing neutral novel sounds that were embedded in a sequence of repeated standard sounds. We used sound-related pupil dilation responses as a marker of arousal and RTs as a marker of distraction in a visual categorization task in 57 healthy young adults. Multilevel analyses revealed increased RT and increased pupil dilation in response to novel vs. standard sounds. Emotional novel sounds reduced distraction effects on the behavioral level and increased pupil dilation responses compared to neutral novel sounds. Bayes Factors revealed strong evidence against an inverse proportional relationship between behavioral distraction effects and sound-related pupil dilation responses for emotional sounds. Given that the activity of the locus coeruleus has been linked to both changes in pupil diameter and arousal, it may embody an indirect relationship as a common antecedent by the release of norepinephrine into brain networks involved in attention control and control of the pupil. The present study provides new insights into the relation of changes in arousal and attentional distraction during the processing of emotional task-irrelevant novel sounds.

Live and recorded music interventions for management of delirium symptoms in acute geriatric patients: Protocol for a randomized feasibility trial

ABSTRACT Introduction Delirium is an acute alteration in attention, awareness, arousal, and cognition, precipitated by a sudden illness and highly prevalent in older, frail and acutely hospitalized patients. It is associated with poor outcomes, and few effective treatment alternatives. Non-pharmacological interventions and music show promising effects, warranting further research. This pilot randomized repeated measures trial aims to test feasibility of the trial methodology, acceptability, fidelity and safety of the music interventions, suitability of the effect-outcomes. and preliminary effectiveness. Method Acute geriatric patients with delirium or subsyndromal delirium will be randomized to Preferred Recorded Music (n = 30) or Preferred Live Music (n = 30), delivered for 30 minutes, over three consecutive days. Planned feasibility outcomes will comprise recruitment rate, retention and attrition rates, percentage of adherence, deviations rates, and success of treatment fidelity. Clinical outcomes will include: (a) trajectory of delirium symptoms: level of arousal as assessed by Observational Scale of Level of Arousal (OSLA) and modified Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (mRASS); attention, assessed using backwards tests and digit span tests; orientation and short-term memory, assessed using recall tasks and orientation questions from Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale, (b) duration of delirium, (c) length of hospital stay, and (d) use of PRN medication (benzodiazepines and antipsychotics). Discussion The trial will provide results needed to design a subsequent sufficiently powered RCT, informing on the expected recruitment, feasibility and acceptability of the interventions and assessments and preliminary effectiveness

Respiratory entrainment of the locus coeruleus modulates arousal level to avoid physical risks from external vibration

Slow rocking chairs can easily put people to sleep, while violent shaking, such as during earthquakes, may lead to rapid awakening. However, the influence of external body vibrations on arousal remains unclear. Herein, a computational model of a locus coeruleus (LC)-norepinephrine (NE) system and cardio-respiratory system were used to show that respiratory entrainment of the LC modulates arousal levels, which is an adaptation to avoid physical risks from external vibration. External vibrations of sinusoidal waves with different frequencies ranging from 0.1 to 20 [Hz] were applied to the LC based on the results of previous studies. We found that respiratory entrainment of the LC decreased the breathing rate (BR) and heart rate (HR) to maintain the HR within its normal range. Furthermore, 1:1 phase locking enhanced arousal level while phase-amplitude coupling decreased it for larger vibration stimuli. These findings suggest that respiratory entrainment of the LC might automatically modulate cardio-respiratory system homeostasis and arousal levels for performance readiness (fight/flight or freeze) to avoid physical risks from larger external vibrations.

Perinatal ethanol exposure alters respiratory chemoreflex responses in anesthetized rats

In the USA 10-15% of pregnant women drink alcohol (ethanol) leading to a variable compilation of developmental abnormalities, including deficits in critical homeostatic functions such as poor coordination of suckling, breathing, and swallowing. Here, we test the hypothesis that perinatal ethanol exposure alters respiratory chemoreflex responses in neonatal rats. Pregnant rats were exposed to 5% ethanol through their drinking water starting on embryonic day 5, which exposes the fetuses to ethanol during gestation and then after birth through the breast milk. Pups of both sexes were studied in the first week of life (postnatal days (P) 1-5). First, in awake pups, we used head-out plethysmography to assess the effects of ethanol exposure on the respiratory response to a brief, 5- minute episode of hypoxic hypercapnia (12% O2/5% CO2, balance N2, delivered through a nose cone). We found no significant differences in the frequency (P = 0.6667), tidal volume (P = 0.3627), or minute ventilation (P = 0.1582) responses to the challenge between control and ethanol exposed pups (2-way ANOVA, n = 6 control and 6 ethanol pups). In a second experiment, we used electromyography in anesthetized pups to study the diaphragm and tongue muscle responses to nasal occlusion, which results in strong muscle efforts but an absence of lung inflation, as well as hypoxia, hypercapnia, and acidosis. Here, we found that both diaphragm and tongue muscle EMG responses were significantly blunted in ethanol exposed animals compared to control. This included a decrease in the peak amplitude responses of both muscles (2-way ANOVA: diaphragm, P = 0.0175; tongue, P= 0.0317, n = 8 control and 8 ethanol pups), as well as a delay in the onset of the tongue muscle activation (Student’s unpaired T-test, P = 0.0219, n = 8 control and 8 ethanol pups). Together, these data indicate that perinatal ethanol exposure causes impairments in respiratory chemoreflex control, which appear to be highly dependent on level of arousal. NIH 5R01HD071302-08 This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Comparing Perception of Sexual Intent and the Use of Sexual Coercion in Men and Women College Students

ABSTRACT Despite research showing that many college men and women have experienced misperception of their friendliness as sexual intent, such research has focused on this type of misperception only as a correlate of men’s sexual aggression. In fact, regardless of methodology used many researchers seem to suggest women do not misperceive men’s sexual intent, and in some instances may actually under-perceive it. We used a hypothetical scenario to determine whether men (n = 324) and women (n = 689) college students perceived similar sexual intent from a character who is not the same gender as they are, as depicted in a story about a man and woman on a “date.” Our results revealed that men and women in our sample reported similar levels of perceived sexual intent on the part of the character with a different gender as described in the scenario, even after that character clearly indicated to the partner that they “think they do not want to have sex.” In addition, the perceived level of the character’s sexual intent as solicited in response to this scenario design was related to sexual coercion intentions among both men and women (though it appears more strongly related among men), and these relationships remained even after controlling for other known correlates of sexual coercion (e.g., rape myth acceptance, level of sexual arousal). Implications for the study of misperception and its origins are discussed.

Affective arousal temporally precedes dissociation in patients with borderline personality disorder: A preliminary experience sampling study.

Affective dysregulation is a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD), and some patients report dissociative symptoms. The present study investigated temporal dynamic relations between affective states and current experiences of depersonalization and derealization in daily life to test key theoretical premises of trauma models of dissociation. Patients with BPD (n = 42) or depressive disorders (n = 40), and nonclinical controls (n = 39) were assessed every 15 min for 13 hr within a single day using smartphone-based diaries. As expected, dynamic structural equation modeling results show the highest levels of average daily affective arousal, negative affective valence, and dissociation in the BPD group. As hypothesized, arousal and subsequent dissociation were significantly linked only in the BPD group, implying that momentary arousal above a person's daily average is followed by higher dissociation in the next measurement (∼15 min later). In addition, some patients with BPD reported less negative affective valence following dissociation. Our findings suggest that changes in affective states play an important role at the onset of dissociation in patients with BPD. Subsequent relief from distress may explain maintenance. We recommend that clinicians provide means to regulate affect when dealing with dissociation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Coexpression of anticipatory and consummatory volitional deficits in schizophrenia and their association with memory impairment.

Avolition in schizophrenia has been attributed to the decoupling between emotion and motivation rather than an inability to perceive or distinguish emotions. Hence, goal-directed behavior incentivized by positive or negative reinforcement becomes impoverished and dull. It is further suggested that goal-directed actions directed at future outcomes (anticipatory or representational response) are preferentially affected, as opposed to actions directed to the current state of affairs (consummatory or evoked response). Attempts to dissociate them behaviorally using the "anticipatory and consummatory pleasure" (ACP) task have demonstrated deficits in both components, yet some have claimed otherwise. In this replication study, we presented further characterization of the pronounced deficits in valence-dependent consummatory as well as anticipatory responding in 40 subjects with schizophrenia in comparison with 42 healthy subjects. In addition, two novel observations were made. First, the correlation between ratings of emotional intensity and arousal levels of pictures used to motivate responding in the ACP task was markedly attenuated in the schizophrenic (SZ) group, suggesting that the decoupling from emotion may be manifested beyond goal-directed behavior in schizophrenia. Second, multiple correlations between ACP performance indices and individual scores in the letter-number span test were uniquely observed in the SZ group, not among healthy controls. The co-emergence of ACP and working memory deficiency in SZ may be linked to common psychopathological processes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Block-segmentation vectors for arousal prediction using semi-supervised learning

To handle emotional expressions in computer applications, Russell’s circumplex model has been useful for representing emotions according to valence and arousal. In SentiWordNet, the level of valence is automatically assigned to a large number of synsets (groups of synonyms in WordNet) using semi-supervised learning. However, when assigning the level of arousal, the existing method proposed for SentiWordNet reduces the accuracy of sentiment prediction. In this paper, we propose a block-segmentation vector for predicting the arousal levels of many synsets from a small number of labeled words using semi-supervised learning. We analyze the distribution of arousal and non-arousal words in a corpus of sentences by comparing it with the distribution of valence words. We address the problem that arousal level prediction fails when arousal and non-arousal words are mixed together in some sentences. To capture the features of such arousal and non-arousal words, we generate word vectors based on inverted indexes by block IDs, where the corpus is divided into blocks in the flow of sentences. In the evaluation experiment, we show that the results of arousal prediction with the block-segmentation vectors using semi-supervised learning outperform the results of the previous methods in SentiWordNet and SocialSent.