Changes In Mood States Research Articles

Patterns of stability and change in mood states of alcoholics in inpatient treatment.

This study examines patterns of individual stability and group change in mood states as measured by scores on the six Profile of Mood States (POMS) scales in a sample of inpatient alcoholics. Stability coefficients based on POMS scores from administrations at hospital admission and after 6 weeks of inpatient treatment ranged from a low of .36 for the Vigor-Activity scale to a high of .63 for the Confusion-Bewilderment scale. These stability estimates are comparable to those found in a previous study involving nonalcoholic psychiatric outpatients. The significant mean group changes found between admission and 6 weeks on each of the POMS scales consistently reflect improvement in mood and are generally similar in magnitude to those found previously using the POMS with both inpatient alcoholics and nonselected psychiatric outpatients.

The internship year: a study of sleep, mood states, and psychophysiologic parameters.

Previous reports have suggested that first-year graduate physicians have a high incidence of psychologic distress and may show cognitive impairment as a result of sleep deprivation. We periodically evaluated 27 interns during their training year to determine amount of sleep, mood states, reaction time, critical flicker fusion, and symptoms of depression. We found the incidence of major depression in our subjects (four of 27) to be lower than previously reported but higher than expected for that age group in the general population. Risk factors for depression during the internship year were history of major depression, female sex, and unmarried status. The only significant change in average mood state was that anger progressively increased during the year. Subjects slept an average of 5.95 hours per 24-hour day during the year. Correlational analysis indicated that, contrary to predictions, performance on reaction time and critical flicker fusion improved with less sleep. At the end of the year, subjects regarded the year as stressful but not more so than had been anticipated.

Endorphins and exercise.

The endogenous opioids seem likely to be assigned a significant role in the integrated hormonal and metabolic response to exercise. This article reviews the present evidence on exercise and the endogenous opioids, and examines their involvement in a number of widely disparate physiological processes. In considering the role of individual opioid peptides, it is important to remember that many of the tools and techniques now used are still relatively crude. Most studies have demonstrated that serum concentrations of endogenous opioids, in particular beta-endorphin and beta-lipotrophin, increase in response to both acute exercise and training programmes. Elevated serum beta-endorphin concentrations induced by exercise have been linked to several psychological and physiological changes, including mood state changes and 'exercise-induced euphoria', altered pain perception, menstrual disturbances in female athletes, and the stress responses of numerous hormones (growth hormone, ACTH, prolactin, catecholamines and cortisol). Many reports have described a role for the endorphin response as seen during exercise and have used the opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone, to investigate and verify the degree of involvement of the opioids. However, whether the observed increases in peripheral endorphin concentrations are sufficient to cause immediate mood changes, create menstrual cycle dysfunction or alter pain perception is still not resolved. A relatively new implication for the endorphins and associated changes with exercise is in ventilatory regulation. A number of studies have suggested that endogenous opioids depress ventilation and may, therefore, play a role in ventilatory regulation by carbon dioxide, hypoxia and exercise. It may also be possible that during exercise, the perception of fatigue is modulated by an increase of endogenous opioids.

Mood, sexuality, hormones and the menstrual cycle. I. Changes in mood and physical state: description of subjects and method.

Mood and physical symptoms through the menstrual cycle were investigated in 55 women with normal ovulatory cycles. One-third had attended a clinic with severe premenstrual syndrome (clinic PMS group); the remainder were volunteers either with a history of PMS (non-clinic PMS group) or without (no PMS group). Each cycle was divided into six hormonally distinct phases on the basis of repeated hormone measurement. Self-ratings of "well-being" reached their maximum in the late follicular phase, declining throughout the luteal half of the cycle. This pattern was pronounced and statistically significant in the "clinic" and "nonclinic PMS" groups. In all three groups, "physical distress" increased during the second half of the cycle to reach a maximum in the late luteal phase. A clear temporal relationship was therefore demonstrated between mood, physical state, and hormonal phases of the cycle. It remains uncertain whether changes in the "clinic" group were extreme forms of a normal pattern or were qualitatively different.

Cortical alpha rhythm, biofeedback, and the determinants of subjective state.

A critical assumption in the rationale for the clinical application of voluntary control over central nervous system (CNS) activity is that there exists a direct relationship between specific CNS activities and specific subjective mood states. The experiment reported here was based on the idea that a joint manipulation of both cognitive and physiological (i.e., alpha electroencephalographic [EEG]) variables would provide information required for an explication of the processes involved in subjective mood change. Three main variables were considered in the present experiment. First, the instructions were designed to induce a "set" or expectations for either positive or negative changes in subjective mood. Second, the type of feedback (alpha or not alpha) was varied. Those in the not-alpha feedback condition received feedback contingent on the absence of alpha activity, whereas those in the alpha feedback condition received feedback contingent on the presence of alpha activity. Third, an estimate of each individual's baseline alpha density was obtained, and on this basis subjects were classified as high-baseline or low-baseline subjects. Baseline alpha density, alpha density during training, and subjective mood were all considered as continuous variables. The results of the present study indicate that biofeedback of the cortical alpha rhythm is neither a sufficient nor a necessary condition for changes in subjective mood. In addition, the type of instructions designed to set subjects for positive or negative alterations in subjective states is predictive of changes in subjective state reported during alpha biofeedback training as well as of success at controlling and changing EEG during feedback training. The data presented here permit a direct examination of the actual relationship of EEG changes to changes in subjective mood state. Similar shifts in subjective mood state can be obtained with either increases or decreases in alpha activity. Further, both positive and negative subjective experiences can be associated with increases in alpha activity.

Cortical alpha rhythm, biofeedback, and the determinants of subjective state.

A critical assumption in the rationale for the clinical application of voluntary control over central nervous system (CNS) activity is that there exists a direct relationship between specific CNS activities and specific subjective mood states. The experiment reported here was based on the idea that a joint manipulation of both cognitive and physiological (i.e., alpha electroencephalographic [EEG]) variables would provide information required for an explication of the processes involved in subjective mood change. Three main variables were considered in the present experiment. First, the instructions were designed to induce a "set" or expectations for either positive or negative changes in subjective mood. Second, the type of feedback (alpha or not alpha) was varied. Those in the not-alpha feedback condition received feedback contingent on the absence of alpha activity, whereas those in the alpha feedback condition received feedback contingent on the presence of alpha activity. Third, an estimate of each individual's baseline alpha density was obtained, and on this basis subjects were classified as high-baseline or low-baseline subjects. Baseline alpha density, alpha density during training, and subjective mood were all considered as continuous variables. The results of the present study indicate that biofeedback of the cortical alpha rhythm is neither a sufficient nor a necessary condition for changes in subjective mood. In addition, the type of instructions designed to set subjects for positive or negative alterations in subjective states is predictive of changes in subjective state reported during alpha biofeedback training as well as of success at controlling and changing EEG during feedback training. The data presented here permit a direct examination of the actual relationship of EEG changes to changes in subjective mood state. Similar shifts in subjective mood state can be obtained with either increases or decreases in alpha activity. Further, both positive and negative subjective experiences can be associated with increases in alpha activity.