Arousal Level Research Articles

Efficacy of Poria Cocos Extract on Sleep Quality Enhancement: A Clinical Perspective with Implications for Functional Foods.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic started, an increase in the number of sleep disorders, including insomnia and poor sleep quality, has been seen. The pattern will probably continue. This study focuses on the preparation and clinical testing of Poria cocos extract in treating suboptimal sleep quality. The optimal extraction method utilized a 75% ethanol concentration, and the clinical investigation involved subjects with defined poor sleep taking 800 mg of the extract nightly, assessed using the Sleep Questionnaire and polysomnography. The non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for statistical analysis due to the non-normal distribution of the collected data. The study involved 21 insomnia sufferers with a mean age of 55 who were administered Poria cocos extracts. The findings of the study indicate a statistically significant rise in the overall duration of sleep (from 327.395 ± 43.2 min to 356.516 ± 63.21 min, p = 0.014). Additionally, there was a notable decrease in the level of arousal during sleep (from 76.316 ± 44.78 min to 47.989 ± 42.38 min, p = 0.009), and an improvement in the sleep severity index of the sleep questionnaire test. Poria cocos as a natural substance could improve quality of sleep, based on the findings. The study investigates Pachymic acid, a substance found in Poria cocos, as a potential indicator for the development of sleeping aids.

Enhancing emotional well-being through active music listening: A study on the effects of music rhythm games on mood improvement in Hong Kong University Students

Anxiety and depression are growing problems worldwide, and the massive disruption of mental health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for more accessible and convenient digital tools for mental health care. Music therapy has been recognized as an effective non-invasive treatment for mental illnesses, but little research has been done on the therapeutic effects of active music therapy in digital formats. This paper investigates the effectiveness of active music therapy in a music rhythm game format for improving mood and examines the impact of five different song sequencing methods (random, all-relaxed, all-upbeat, upbeat-to-relaxed, and relaxed-to-upbeat) on therapeutic outcomes. Listening tests were conducted with 89 subjects (all university students in Hong Kong) to analyze changes in valence and arousal. The results indicate that all proposed song sequencing methods positively increased arousal levels, while all methods, except all-upbeat, significantly increased valence levels. All-relaxed and all-upbeat gave the best increase in arousal. Upbeat-to-relaxed and relaxed-to-upbeat gave the best increase in valence. All-relaxed and upbeat-to-relaxed were most effective in increasing both arousal and valence. The study also found that tailored recommendations based on subjects' initial arousal and valence levels and levels of anxiety and depression can further improve therapeutic outcomes.

Effects of environmental colours in virtual reality: Physiological arousal affected by lightness and hue.

It is a popular belief that colours impact one's psychological and affective functioning. However, clear-cut scientific evidence is still lacking, largely due to methodological challenges. Virtual reality (VR) enabled us to control and modify the environment. We exposed 60 participants to red or blue environments varying in lightness and saturation. We assessed participants' physiological responses (i.e. arousal) with heart rate and skin conductance measures, and their self-reported levels of valence and arousal in response to the coloured environments. The results revealed physiological effects of lightness and hue. When compared with the baseline measures, heart rate increased, and heart rate variability decreased more in the dark than the medium lightness rooms. Both measures signalled higher arousal in the darker room, irrespective of hue. Also, when compared with the baseline measures, skin conductance increased more in the red than the blue rooms, again signalling higher arousal in the red condition. The difference between the red and the blue conditions was detectable only on some saturation and lightness combinations. We conclude that being immersed in environments of different colours can change physiological arousal. However, not all changes are driven by hue and not all the effects are measurable on all physiological parameters.

Relationship satisfaction, feelings of closeness and annoyance, and linkage in electrodermal activity.

Physiological linkage refers to moment-to-moment, time-linked coordination in physiological responses among people in close relationships. Although people in romantic relationships have been shown to evidence linkage in their physiological responses over time, it is still unclear how patterns of covariation relate to in-the-moment, as well as general levels of, relationship functioning. In the present study with data collected between 2014 and 2017, we capture linkage in electrodermal activity (EDA) in a diverse sample of young-adult couples, generally representative and generalizable to the Los Angeles community from which we sampled. We test how naturally occurring, shifting feelings of closeness with and annoyance toward one's partner relate to concurrent changes in levels of physiological linkage over the course of 1 day. Additionally, we examine how linkage relates to overall relationship satisfaction. Results showed that couples evidenced significant covariation in their levels of physiological arousal in daily life. Further, physiological linkage increased during hours that participants felt close to their romantic partners but not during hours that participants felt annoyed with their partners. Finally, those participants with overall higher levels of relationship satisfaction showed lower levels of linkage over the day of data collection. These findings highlight how individuals respond in sync with their romantic partners and how this process ebbs and flows in conjunction with the shifting emotional tone of their relationships. The discussion focuses on how linkage might enhance closeness or, alternatively, contribute to conflict escalation and the potential of linkage processes to promote positive interpersonal relationships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Noise and dynamic decision making

Dynamic decision-making (DDM) is a cognitive skill where real-time interdependent decisions are made in an environment which is changing, for example for emergency services, firefighting, battlefield, and aircraft operations to name a few. These are all situations where moderate noise is present, yet little is known about its effect on DDM. A series of research studies investigated the effect of 75 dBA broadband noise on performance for a simulated water distribution task that requires constant DDM. The effect of the noise on performance was found to be moderated by workload, sex, and task familiarity. The noise was detrimental to females’ performance at low workload but not at high workload. Males were generally unaffected by noise regardless of the workload level. This suggests that an optimum level of arousal or stimulation may trigger individuals’ effort to maintain performance in stressors. Furthermore, there may be some benefit from moderate broadband noise for individuals experiencing high cognitive workload. Not unexpectedly, increased task familiarity, through increased experience and extended task instructions, helped reduce the negative noise effect, which is consistent with Maximal Adaptability Theory.

Effects of Loligo Squid Ink on Sexual Arousal Parameters in D-Galactose-Induced Aging Male Mice

Squid ink is known to contain many bioactive properties such as antioxidant, anticancer activity, antimicrobial activity, and anti-inflammatory activity. Through its antioxidant properties squid was suggested to have therapeutic potential for sexual function disorders. This study is an attempt to evaluate whether squid ink has therapeutic benefits against age-related decreases in sexual arousal in D-galactose-induced aging male mice. Four groups of male mice were treated as follows. Group-1 received only standar food but no D-galactose induction nor squid ink given. Group-2 received D-galactose induction but not squid ink. Group-3 and group-4 received D-galactose induction and squid ink at the dose of 40 and 100 ml/kg body weight respectively. After 35 days of treatment, the test mice were mated with estrous virgin females to determine their levels of sexual arousal. The results, Loligo squid ink extract at a dose of 100 ml/kg body weight significantly enhances sexual arousal parameter values in the D-galactose-induced aging mouse model. However, the recovery rate did not achieve nor surpassed the parameter values of sexual arousal in normal mice. It suggests that Loligo squid ink has the potential to prevent damage to sexual function in males but is less effective in restoring it.

Work Hard, Scare Hard? An Investigation of How Mental Workload Impacts Jump Scare Intensity

Despite the prevalence and relevance of jump scares in horror video games, there is little empirical research on them. While HCI research commonly uses horror games as experimental stimuli, even less scientific research exists on what makes a jump scare in a game more or less scary. The present between-subject study (n=60) addresses this by investigating whether jump scare intensity—measured physiologically and subjectively—scales with task difficulty. We triggered in-game jump scares at increasing levels of mental workload across four counterbalanced conditions, manipulated using N-back tasks of varying difficulty. Results demonstrate a significant linear relationship between mental workload and physiological arousal. However, this is not the case for subjective perception of arousal elicited by the jump scare. These findings have design implications for horror games. They show that the level of physiological arousal caused by a jump scare can be controlled by changing the difficulty of an in-game task that necessitates a substantial amount of mental work at the same time.

Alcohol, Sexual Arousal, and Partner Familiarity as Predictors of Condom Negotiation: An Experience Sampling Study.

Numerous contextual factors contribute to risky sexual decision-making among men who have sex with men (MSM), with experimental laboratory-based studies suggesting that alcohol consumption, sexual arousal, and partner familiarity have the potential to impact condom negotiations during sexual encounters. The purpose of the current study was to extend this line of inquiry outside of the laboratory and into the everyday lives of MSM. We collected six weeks of daily data on alcohol consumption and sexual behaviors from 257 moderate- and heavy-drinking MSM to examine the within- and between-subjects effects of alcohol consumption, average daily sexual arousal, and partner familiarity on condom negotiation processes during sexual encounters. We hypothesized that alcohol consumption, higher levels of average daily sexual arousal, and greater partner familiarity would all contribute to a reduced likelihood of condom negotiation prior to sexual activity, and that they would also affect the difficulty of negotiations. Contrary to hypotheses, none of these three predictors had significant within-subjects effects on condom negotiation outcomes. However, partner familiarity and average daily sexual arousal did exert significant between-subjects effects on the incidence of negotiation and negotiation difficulty. These findings have important implications for risk-reduction strategies in this population. They also highlight the challenges of reconciling results from experimental laboratory research and experience sampling conducted outside of the laboratory on sexual risk behavior.

Effect of Changes in the Area Ratio of Red/Blue Green Eyeshadow on Cognitive Processing in the Brain

Purpose: To conduct electroencephalography (EEG) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs) measurements to establish quantitative data on brainwave responses to changes in eyeshadow color, specifically the area ratio of red (R) and blue green (BG) eyeshadows.Methods: A study was conducted on 60 males and females in their 20s using R, BG eyeshadow to determine brainwave responses via spontaneous EEG and VEPs while presenting stimuli with changes in area. The analysis focused on brainwave responses to changes in area.Results: The brainwave responses to color stimuli demonstrated the maximum activity in the occipital lobe. Specifically, the results of the EEG analysis indicated the highest level of psychological relaxation response at the golden ratio (1.61) of the eyeshadow area. Furthermore, when participants wore BG eyeshadow, their brainwave responses remained stable, with consistent alpha wave activation. The presentation of stimuli using only the R eyeshadow resulted in a significant increase in arousal and attention levels among the participants. Perceptual responses exhibited variations based on the ratio of the main color and point color in the color contrast, and rapid VEPs responses were observed specifically under high saturation conditions. Furthermore, the study revealed a high correlation between the brainwave response results and color images, indicating that an optimal ratio of color areas can maximize the impact of the color image.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that by adjusting the area ratio of colors, it is possible to scientifically determine and achieve the desired color effects in color planning. The brain cognitive responses, resulting from variations in eyeshadow area, can serve as valuable quantitative data for image-making purposes, and can be applied to various fields in the beauty industry to expand their usability

Uncoordinated sleep replay across hemispheres in the zebra finch

Bilaterally organized brain regions are often simultaneously active in both humans1,2,3 and animal models,4,5,6,7,8,9 but the extent to which the temporal progression of internally generated dynamics is coordinated across hemispheres and how this coordination changes with brain state remain poorly understood. To address these issues, we investigated the zebra finch courtship song (duration: 0.5-1.0 s), a highly stereotyped complex behavior10,11 produced by a set of bilaterally organized nuclei.12,13,14 Unilateral lesions to these structures can eliminate or degrade singing,13,15,16,17 indicating that both hemispheres are required for song production.18 Additionally, previous work demonstrated broadly coherent and symmetric bilateral premotor signals during song.9 To precisely track the temporal evolution of activity in each hemisphere, we recorded bilaterally in the song production pathway. We targeted the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) in the zebra finch, where population activity reflects the moment-to-moment progression of the courtship song during awake vocalizations19,20,21,22,23,24 and sleep, where song-related network dynamics reemerge in "replay" events.24,25 We found that activity in the left and right RA is synchronized within a fraction of a millisecond throughout song. In stark contrast, the two hemispheres displayed largely independent replay activity during sleep, despite shared interhemispheric arousal levels. These findings demonstrate that the degree of bilateral coordination in the zebra finch song system is dynamically modulated by behavioral state.

Tourism destination advertising: effect of storytelling and sensory stimuli on arousal and memorability

PurposeTourism destination marketers use videos that incorporate storytelling and visual and audio components to evoke emotional arousal and memorability. This study aims to examine the increase in participants’ level of arousal and the degree of memorability after watching two different videos.Design/methodology/approachA quasi-experimental study was conducted with 45 participants who watched two destination promotional videos. One video used storytelling whereas the other used scenic images and music. The level of arousal was measured using both tonic and phasic electrodermal activity levels. The memorability of each video was measured after seven days by testing the recall accuracy.FindingsScenic imagery and music videos were associated with higher-than-average arousal levels, while storytelling videos generated larger-amplitude arousal peaks and a greater number of arousal-evoking events. After a week, the respondents recalled more events from the storytelling video than from the scenery and musical advertisements. This finding reveals that the treatment, storytelling and sensory stimuli in advertising moderate the impact of arousal peaks and memorability.Originality/valueThese results indicate that nonnarrative videos using only sceneries and music evoked a higher average level of arousal. However, memorability was associated with higher peak levels of arousal only in narrative storytelling. This is the first tourism study to report the effects of large arousal peaks on improved memorability in advertising.

Astrocytic calcium waves: unveiling their roles in sleep and arousal modulation.

Neuron-astrocyte interactions are vital for the brain's connectome. Understanding astrocyte activities is crucial for comprehending the complex neural network, particularly the population-level functions of neurons in different cortical states and associated behaviors in mammals. Studies on animal sleep and wakefulness have revealed distinct cortical synchrony patterns between neurons. Astrocytes, outnumbering neurons by nearly fivefold, support and regulate neuronal and synaptic function. Recent research on astrocyte activation during cortical state transitions has emphasized the influence of norepinephrine as a neurotransmitter and calcium waves as key components of ion channel signaling. This summary focuses on a few recent studies investigating astrocyte-neuron interactions in mouse models during sleep, wakefulness, and arousal levels, exploring the involvement of noradrenaline signaling, ion channels, and glutamatergic signaling in different cortical states. These findings highlight the significant impact of astrocytes on large-scale neuronal networks, influencing brain activity and responsiveness. Targeting astrocytic signaling pathways shows promise for treating sleep disorders and arousal dysregulation. More research is needed to understand astrocytic calcium signaling in different brain regions and its implications for dysregulated brain states, requiring future human studies to comprehensively investigate neuron-astrocyte interactions and pave the way for therapeutic interventions in sleep- and arousal-related disorders.

ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF STRESS AMONG PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE IN SULAIMANI CARDIAC HOSPITAL

BackgroundLife events and experiences eventually lead to stress. Stress also activates one’s process of thinking and autonomic arousal level. One of the complications of heart failure is coronary artery disease, which can also be caused by stress and behaviours like being extremely hardworking toward achieving one’s goals.
 ObjectivesTo detect the stress levels of heart failure patients, and to find out the association between socio-demographic characteristics and level of stress.
 Materials and MethodsQuantitative descriptive design (non-probability purposive sample). The sample was the heart failure admitted to Sulaimani Cardiac Hospital. A total of 200 heart failure patients were selected by non‑probability sampling methods. The standardized Perceived Stress Scale tool was used for the study.
 ResultsAlmost half (50.5%) of the sample was between 62 to 77 years. More than half were males, widows, illiterate with low economic status, and lived with their family members (65.5, 53%, 61%, 65.5%, and 68%) respectively. Less than half (48%) of them were in class III of heart failure according to the New York Heart Association classification. Most of the sample were from urban areas (91%), Nearly half of the sample (47.5%) had a high level, (51%) had moderate stress, and only (1.5%) of them had low stress. Also, the present study revealed a significant association among all items of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and levels of stress except the economic state, marital state, and resident at the p-value of 0.05.
 ConclusionThis research demonstrated an approach to developing more coping strategies to reduce stress among heart failure patients. So, this study recommended that the medical staff who work in the coronary care unit should involve themselves in dealing with the psychosocial needs of those patients and take measures to plan to solve their problems, especially stress, through teamwork.

Classification of User Emotional Experiences on B2C Websites Utilizing Infrared Thermal Imaging.

The acquisition of physiological signals for analyzing emotional experiences has been intrusive, and potentially yields inaccurate results. This study employed infrared thermal images (IRTIs), a noninvasive technique, to classify user emotional experiences while interacting with business-to-consumer (B2C) websites. By manipulating the usability and aesthetics of B2C websites, the facial thermal images of 24 participants were captured as they engaged with the different websites. Machine learning techniques were leveraged to classify their emotional experiences, with participants' self-assessments serving as the ground truth. The findings revealed significant fluctuations in emotional valence, while the participants' arousal levels remained consistent, enabling the categorization of emotional experiences into positive and negative states. The support vector machine (SVM) model performed well in distinguishing between baseline and emotional experiences. Furthermore, this study identified key regions of interest (ROIs) and effective classification features in machine learning. These findings not only established a significant connection between user emotional experiences and IRTIs but also broadened the research perspective on the utility of IRTIs in the field of emotion analysis.

Seizure-related stress and arousal responses mediate a relationship between anxiety trait and state in epilepsy

BackgroundEpilepsy causes substantial psychological distress and anxiety, primarily due to seizures. However, the impact of stress responses and changes in arousal and their association with anxiety patterns in patients with epilepsy (PWE) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among seizures, stress and arousal characteristics, and trait and state anxiety characteristics in PWE. MethodsOur sample consisted of 159 outpatients with epilepsy recruited from five institutions in Japan in 2020. Participants completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Form JYZ (STAI) and the Japanese-Stress Arousal Check List (J-SACL). We analyzed the correlations between inventory scores and clinical information. Using principal component analysis (PCA), we derived epilepsy-specific stress/arousal characteristics, which accounted for high arousal and low-stress levels, termed epilepsy-specific stress or arousal response (ESAR), from the J-SACL scores. We conducted a mediation analysis to assess the mediating role of ESAR in the relationship between traits and state anxiety. ResultsWe found significant correlations between J-SACL stress and arousal factors (r = −0.845, p < 0.001), ESAR and seizure frequency (r = −0.29, p < 0.001), ESAR and trait anxiety scores on the STAI (r = −0.77, p < 0.0001), and ESAR and state anxiety scores on the STAI (r = −0.60, p < 0.0001). Mediation analysis supported by the Monte Carlo method revealed that ESAR significantly mediated the association between trait and state anxiety. ConclusionsThese findings elucidate the epilepsy-specific stress and arousal characteristics and their roles in mediating traits and state anxiety. These results may reflect the long-term clinical course and unique emotion recognition tendencies in epilepsy.

A study of dynamic emoji emotional responses based on rhythms and motion effects.

Dynamic emojis are a form of nonverbal communication used in social programs to express emotions during conversations. Studies have shown that different dynamic effects can influence users' emotional perceptions. Previous studies have focused on the emotional responses elicited by static emojis, while the emotional responses to dynamic emojis have not been thoroughly explored. In this study, we examined the impact of 128 different dynamic effects, categorized into emotional types (HAHV, LAHV, HALV, and LALV), on users' arousal and valence, and conducted semi-structured interviews to identify users' preferred dynamic effects. The results revealed significant and positive correlations between the arousal levels of all dynamic emojis and the effects of rhythms. However, the impact of rhythms on the valence of dynamic emojis varied depending on the emotion types of emojis. Specifically, the effects of motion on the valence of dynamic high-valence emojis were found to be significant, whereas they were not significant for dynamic low-valence emojis. Based on these findings, we recommend considering following factors in the design of dynamic emojis, including rhythms, motion effects, motion range, emotional metaphors, and the creation of contrast.

P2E1-17 Investigation of a condition monitoring system using wearable devices for detecting changes in the driver's arousal level during railroad driving operation.

P2E1-17 Investigation of a condition monitoring system using wearable devices for detecting changes in the driver's arousal level during railroad driving operation.

Implications of sexual fantasy characteristics and memory intensity for harmful sexual behaviour.

Sexual fantasies and memories are aetiological considerations in the perpetration of sexual violence, but fantasy-memory-behaviour relationships may be influenced by various factors, including sexual fantasy and memory phenomenology, that are the properties of mental imagery. To investigate differences in sexual fantasy phenomenology and sexual memory intensity in men who report a history of harmful sexual behaviour compared to those who do not. We also investigated whether the likelihood of reporting harmful sexual intent was related to sexual memory intensity, independently of age and harmful sexual behaviour history. An online cross-sectional survey design was used, focusing on men aged ≥18years who were recruited from the general population via social media. The survey prompted participants to envisage a favoured sexual fantasy, then obtained data on fantasy phenomenology, including vividness and sensations, and arousal level. In addition, information was requested about sexual memory intensity and harmful sexual behaviour history and intent. A total of 322 men completed the survey. Multiple Welch's t-tests showed that men self-reporting one or more harmful sexual behaviours, such as rape or child sexual abuse, gave significantly higher ratings of sexual fantasy phenomenology but not fantasy frequency or masturbation. They were also more likely to report higher sexual memory intensity. Although the significance of fantasy phenomenology varied between subgroups, binary logistic regression indicated that age, history of harmful sexual behaviour and sexual memory intensity were each independently associated with harmful sexual intent. Our findings provide new insights into the importance of fantasy phenomenology, demonstrating nuanced differences between those with and without a history of harmful sexual behaviour and illustrating that memory intensity is associated with harmful sexual behaviour intent. Further research into these differences in the context of assessment and intervention for sexual violence perpetration is warranted.

Enhancing lighting design through the investigation of illuminance and correlated color Temperature's effects on brain activity: An EEG-VR approach

Investigating human responses to light can reveal important information with the potential to improve environmental design, circadian health, cognitive performance, and overall wellbeing. In this study, the researchers used VR immersion, EEG, and a machine-learning approach to better understand the relationship between brain activity and two important lighting properties—the illumination level and the correlated color temperature (CCT). Participants (N = 25) were asked to experience 17 different artificial lighting conditions and rate their perceived arousal and pleasure levels, and then adjust the lighting to their optimal preference. The results from the experiment demonstrated an association of illumination level and CCT with specific EEG band-features in the frontal and parietal brain regions. Our machine-learning classification approach was able to predict participants' behavioral choices of desired vs. non-desired lighting based on the EEG data from their first 10 s of exposure, a finding that has notable implications for the potential development of brain–computer interfaces for automatic lighting adjustment.

Spatio-temporal attention toward emotional scenes across adulthood.

Research on emotion suggests that the attentional preference observed toward the negative stimuli in young adults tends to disappear in normal aging and, sometimes, to shift toward a preference for positive stimuli. The current eye-tracking study investigated visual exploration of paired natural scenes of different valence (Negative-Neutral, Positive-Neutral, and Negative-Positive pairs) in three age groups (young, middle-aged, and older adults). Two arousal levels of stimuli (high and low arousal) were also considered given role of this factor in age-related effects on emotion. Results showed the automatic attentional orienting toward the negative stimuli was relatively preserved in our three age groups although reduced in the elderly, in both arousal conditions. A similar negativity bias was also observed in initial attention focusing but shifted toward a positivity bias over time in the three age groups. Moreover, it appeared the spatial exploration of emotional scenes evolved over time differently for older adults compared with other age groups. No difference between young adults and middle-aged adults in ocular behavior was observed. This study confirms the interest of studying both spatial and temporal characteristics of oculomotor behaviors to better understand the age-related effects on emotion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).