Physiological Reaction Patterns Research Articles

The meaning of resilience in adulthood

The aim of this article is to present an extensive description of resilience in adulthood in the modern times. Taking into account resilience’s definition problems, the differences and similarities between the concepts of resilience and resiliency were taken into account. The article discusses a broad definition of resilience, referring to many scientific perspectives. The conclusion is drawn that resilience should be conceptualized as a dynamic process. The meta-analysis of the relationships between the factors indicates the presence of many factors directly and indirectly related to the resilience, but only some of them are characterized by strong scientific evidence.The article reviews the literature on the importance of selected factors of resilience, especially in the context of adulthood and contemporary challenges. In the presented considerations, the mental health topic in the period of SARS-CoV-2 virus and the consequences of the global COVID pandemic in the world-wide population context should claim our attention. The wide social-economic crisis experience, as well as the high level of anxiety level that comes along society, prompts us to continue searching for resources that will act as protective factors. The ongoing war In Ukraine is also not without significance, as it leaves its mark on the daily mental functioning of both, refugees, witnesses, and individuals, who provide selfless help.The article aims to discuss the importance of resilience in adulthood in the context of health, pointing to a negative relationship with negative mental health indicators, a positive relationship with positive mental health indicators, and a relationship between resilience and personality traits. In the considerations on resilience importance, the ability of emotional disengagement, patterns of physiological reactions and the comparison of resilience to the somatic immune system were discussed. The aim of this article is also to indicate the cognitive component, namely the cognitive resilience. In this regard, the relationship between immunity and cognitive functions was discussed on the basis of experimental studies.

Chronic stress, energy transduction, and free-radical production in a reptile.

Stress hormones, such as corticosterone, play a crucial role in orchestrating physiological reaction patterns shaping adapted responses to stressful environments. Concepts aiming at predicting individual and population responses to environmental stress typically consider that stress hormones and their effects on metabolic rate provide appropriate proxies for the energy budget. However, uncoupling between the biochemical processes of respiration, ATP production, and free-radical production in mitochondria may play a fundamental role in the stress response and associated life histories. In this study, we aim at dissecting sub-cellular mechanisms that link these three processes by investigating both whole-organism metabolism, liver mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation processes (O2 consumption and ATP production) and ROS emission in Zootoca vivipara individuals exposed 21days to corticosterone relative to a placebo. Corticosterone enhancement had no effect on mitochondrial activity and efficiency. In parallel, the corticosterone treatment increased liver mass and mitochondrial protein content suggesting a higher liver ATP production. We also found a negative correlation between mitochondrial ROS emission and plasma corticosterone level. These results provide a proximal explanation for enhanced survival after chronic exposure to corticosterone in this species. Importantly, none of these modifications affected resting whole-body metabolic rate. Oxygen consumption, ATP, and ROS emission were thus independently affected in responses to corticosterone increase suggesting that concepts and models aiming at linking environmental stress and individual responses may misestimate energy allocation possibilities.

Do patients with chronic pain show autonomic arousal when confronted with feared movements? An experimental investigation of the fear-avoidance model.

The relevance of a phobia-based conceptualization of fear for individuals with chronic pain has been much debated in the literature. This study investigated whether patients with highly fearful chronic low back pain show distinct physiological reaction patterns compared with less fearful patients when anticipating aversive back pain-related movements. We used an idiosyncratic fear induction paradigm and collected 2 different measures of autonomic nervous system activation and muscle tension in the lower back. We identified 2 distinct psychophysiological response patterns. One pattern was characterized by a moderate increase in skin conductance, interbeat interval (IBI) increase, and muscle tension increase in the lower back. This response was interpreted as an attention reaction to a moderately stressful event. The other pattern, found in 58% of the participants, was characterized by a higher skin conductance response, IBI decrease, and muscle tension increase in the lower back. According to Bradley and Lang defense cascade model, this response is typical of a fear reaction. Participants showing the psychophysiological pattern typical of fear also had elevated scores on some self-report measures of components of the fear-avoidance model, relative to participants showing the reaction pattern characteristic of attention. This study is the first to provide psychophysiological evidence for the fear-avoidance model of chronic pain.

Psychophysiological detection of deception and Preliminary Process Theory: A comment on Palmatier and Rovner (2015)

Palmatier and Rovner (2015) argued that the same psychophysiological processes underlie the outcomes of the Comparison Question Test (CQT) and the Concealed Information Test (CIT). They also argued that Barry's Preliminary Process Theory (PPT) explains the patterns of physiological reactions that occur during polygraph examinations. There is ample empirical evidence that the CQT and CIT produce similar physiological effects. Although PPT may account for those effects, the authors' argument was not persuasive. Demonstrations of effects on targeted response systems that are predicted by PPT but are not predicted by Sokolov's orienting theory would bolster their case and encourage much needed conceptual development and construct validation of polygraph techniques.

Digestive and cardiovascular responses to core and animal-reminder disgust

The two-stage model of disgust differentiates between core and animal-reminder (AR) disgust [Rozin P., Fallon A., 1987. A perspective on disgust. Psychological Review 94, 23–41]. This study investigates whether core and A-R disgust elicit distinct physiological reaction patterns. Further, in line with the idea that A-R disgust is critically involved in blood phobia and may explain typical phenomenology of psychopathological symptoms (e.g., dizziness), we investigated whether physiological patterns (if present) would differ specifically for A-R disgust between high and low blood-fearful participants. Therefore, high ( n = 30) and low ( n = 30) blood-fearful individuals engaged in guided imagery of core disgust, A-R disgust, and neutral stimuli. Overall, both disgust scripts lead to increased activity in the digestive component of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). For cardiac components, sympathetic activity decreased, whereas no parasympathetic reactivity was observed compared to the neutral script. No differences were observed in physiological reactivity between the A-R and core disgust scripts. Meanwhile, in line with the idea that disgust is involved in blood phobia, subjective symptoms of vomit and dizziness did differentiate between high and low blood-fearful participants, as subjective symptoms were most pronounced in the high blood-fearful group. Contrary to our expectations, increases in subjective symptoms were apparent for both disgust types and not specifically for A-R disgust. So, physiological reactivity appeared relatively independent of type of disgust elicitor which, in turn, may reflect a general hard-wired protective mechanism to prevent contamination with pathogens.

Sex differences in emotional and psychophysiological responses to musical stimuli

Although it is known that men and women differ in their music preferences and emotional reactions to music, little is known about sex differences in physiological reactions to music. In our study, we therefore set out to examine the differential reactivity to two musical stimuli that elicit distinct psychological and physiological reaction patterns. Fifty-three healthy subjects (mean age: 26.13, SD: 3.97; 26 males, 27 females) were examined. Heart rate, electrodermal activity, skin temperature, salivary cortisol, salivary alpha-amylase, and psychological variables were assessed during the course of the whole study. Following baseline assessment, two musical stimuli, which were carefully selected and rated in a pre-study as relaxing and pleasant (renaissance music) and arousing and unpleasant (heavy metal), respectively, were introduced. They were presented on two different days in a randomized order. Whereas psychological variables did not differ between men and women, results of electrophysiological measures indicate significantly different reactivity patterns between men and women. Women displayed elevated response curves to the arousing and unpleasant stimulus, whereas men did not. However, no differences were found with regards to endocrine measures in saliva. Our results demonstrate sex differences in reactivity patterns to musical stimuli in psychophysiological measures. In our study, we were able to show that women tend to show hypersensitivity to aversive musical stimuli. This finding is in accordance with previous literature on sex differences in emotion research. Furthermore, our study indicates that the confounding effects of sex differences have to be considered when using musical stimuli for emotion induction.

On the function of groaning and hyperventilation during sexual intercourse: intensification of sexual experience by altering brain metabolism through hypocapnia

Sexual arousal is accompanied by some typical physiological reaction patterns. Another typical feature of sexual intercourse is involuntary sound production implying in its more intense forms acceleration of breathing (hyperventilation). Up to now no study examined spCO2 during intense sexual intercourse, but there is evidence that some degree of hyperventilation with its physiological consequences may often be induced during sexual intercourse. This article discusses implications of hyperventilation during sexual intercourse for alterations of consciousness and subjective experience in the light of recent studies of brain metabolic changes during states of hyperventilation. Groaning and hyperventilation are interpreted in this context as a psychophysiological mechanism to deepen states of sexual trance.

Bioelektronische Systeme für zelluläre Analytik und therapeutische Konzepte

A precise characterization of physiological reaction patterns of cells is decisive for dealing with many cell biological, pharmacological and medical problems. With standard devices valuable information concerning the dynamics of cellular reactions is usually lost. Apart from this, in most cases only one parameter is investigated, although cellular reactions express themselves in a variety of different aspects. Owing to its non-invasive and continuous procedure, signal analysis with microsensor systems are well suited for the acquisition and analysis of functionally relevant signals derived from cultured cells and tissue preparations. For these reasons we developed test systems equipped with different microsensors which should be applicable in numerous fields of biomedical and cell biological research. Based on the versions used in vitro, concepts of sensor-supported devices for rumor therapy are presented as well.

Patterns of physiological reactions elicited by the driving situation

Temporal patterns of physiological reactions during vehicle driving were summarized and discussed. Driving strain could be indicated by decrease of spare mental capacity or by degree of autonomic reactions. For variation of the cortical functions two major patterns were classified. In the case of automobile or electric railcar driving, an initial rise with succeeding gradual decrease of the critical fusion frequency of flicker was characteristic (C-type). Locomotive driving or driving in a monotonous situation usually lacked this initial rise and revealed from the first stage of driving a gradually decreasing tendency of cortical functions (L-type). In both types of variation pattern, prolonged driving over 3-4 hours always causes marked decrease of the cerebral activation level, which may induce more frequent detraction phases, thus tending to cause accidents. Since patterns of physiological reactions seem to be determined by the driving “situation” as a whole, it is urged-in order to reduce accidents, to design those driving situations which are less restric, tive and less monotonous, having proper stimulation on the cerebral cortex.

PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATE OF THERAPEUTIC CHANGE.

Introduction Certain physiological reaction patterns have been shown to be closely related to characteristics of personality. According to Davis 1 numerous authors have shown that the intensity of autonomic discharge increases with frustration. Lacey and Lacey 2 found that impulsive persons even at rest display rhythmic bouts of palmar sweat secretion and rhythmic increases in heart rate while in other persons little change occurs. Roessler et al 3 demonstrated a relationship between ego strength as defined by scores on the ES scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and certain physiological responses in subjects who were stimulated with various intensities of sound. A recent investigation dealing with physiological responses in psychotherapeutic relationships 4 raised the question as to whether or not certain physiological response patterns obtained from patients prior to any psychotherapy would differ among those patients who eventually improved or did

Cold pressor test in functional psychiatric syndromes.

IN RECENT years much work has accumulated on the physiological reaction patterns of functionally psychotic patients in a state of homeostasis and stress. An excellent summary of this work is contained in Gellhorn's Physiological Foundations of Neurology and Psychiatry. 1 Under the headings of Reactions in Schizophrenia, Endocrines and Autonomic System in Schizophrenia, and Cortico-Hypothalamic Relations in Schizophrenia, Gellhorn fits this accumulated evidence logically into his theories about the role which autonomic centers in the hypothalamus play in the etiology of the functional psychoses. The gist of Gellhorn's theories is that in the functional psychoses, particularly schizophrenia, there is a deficient reactivity of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system in the hypothalamus. This deficiency may be initiated by overactivity or constitutional factors. It results in decreased blood pressure and lessened circulatory adjustment reactions, as well as in diminished muscle tone, and leads to impaired hypothalamic control