Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback最新文献

This retrospective study analyzes the effects of Mind Meter-a session of group-delivered pain neuroscience education (PNE) paired with temperature biofeedback-on peripheral temperature and pain outcomes in chronic pain participants. A retrospective review assessed physiological and subjective responses to this novel group intervention. Before and immediately after the intervention, peripheral skin temperature and pain related symptom scores were collected using an adapted Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). Participants (n = 35) with chronic pain participated in a single 2-h Mind Meter group. Significant pre-post changes were seen in both physiological and subjective symptom severity. Peripheral temperature increased 2.30°F (95% CI 1.05, 3.54; p < 0.001) on average. Participants reported a mean reduction in pain intensity of -1.14 points (95% CI -1.61, -0.068; p < 0.001). Sadness, anxiety, and well-being on the ESAS also improved significantly (highest p = 0.001). In this study we observed that after a single group-session of Mind Meter, participants generated immediate, measurable physiological changes attributable to alterations in the autonomic nervous system, modest pain relief, and overall symptom improvement. This brief, group format provides a novel option that makes PNE and biofeedback a potentially accessible complementary modality.

The ability to seamlessly integrate sensory information from the environment (exteroception) and physiological states (interoception) is a key aspect of our awareness and well-being. Alterations in these processes often result in uncertainty about bodily states and dysregulation of physiological and emotional processes, as observed in clinical conditions. In this study, we employed an interactive music system as a novel method to improve interoceptive, cardiac, and emotional functioning, combining cardiac biofeedback, mindfulness, and music listening approaches. A sample of 24 healthy participants was divided into three groups, each performing a single-session attention task: heartbeat mindful attention (interoceptive), non-interactive music listening (exteroceptive), and interactive music listening (intero-exteroceptive). Significant differences in interoceptive accuracy after the session were found only in the interactive music listening task. Additionally, all groups exhibited decreased heart rate (HR), enhanced heart rate variability (HRV), and reduced negative affect after the session. Moderation analysis also revealed the role of self-reported interoception, cardiac dynamics, and anxiety and depression symptomatology on the observed effects. Together, our results demonstrated the effectiveness of interactive music systems, suggesting that this approach may facilitate intero-exteroceptive synchronization and one's certainty about bodily states, while also promoting mindful attention and calm emotional and physiological states.

The explanation for how acutely stressful experiences could result in proximal health outcomes has been lacking in occupational health research. Although scholars have argued that individual personality and affect could worsen health behaviors, we believe that these qualities also could intensify the experience of acute stressors, potentially explaining why acutely stress encounters result in poor health outcomes for some people, but not others. Our study examines three individual differences - worry, negative affect, and positive affect - that are relevant to differential stress anticipation, reactivity, and recovery. Study participants, who were full-time professional or managerial employees, attended a clinic where we gathered data on their trait worry, and state negative and positive affect. Then, they took part in an experimental exercise that should reflect stressful experiences at work (i.e., cognitive stressor with social pressure). The clinician collected measures of participant facial muscle tension, skin temperature, blood pressure, respiratory breathing, and heart rate, before, during, and after the stressful exercise. Results suggest that only positive affect magnified stress during the anticipation of the experiment, both worry and negative affect intensified the negative physiological effects of the stressor in two of the three experimental stages, and only negative affect delayed physiological recovery and relaxation. Our findings augment our understanding of how individual differences affect physiological responses to acute stress.

Physiological measures, most commonly heart rate, are widely used in applied police research to assess the relationships between situational stress and officer performance under pressure. However, measurements of the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying these critical skills remain limited, especially throughout police academy training. This study investigates the potential of electroencephalography (EEG) and its relationship to situational performance outcomes in police cadets (n = 58) at Kuwait's National Police Academy. EEG and electrocardiogram (ECG) activity were recorded as cadets from three different cohorts participated in a video simulation of a stressful critical incident, featuring seven decision prompts that called for procedural action. Cadets' decision-making, reasoning, and memory recall were rated during a post-task debriefing interview. Preliminary pairwise analyses identified significant correlations between performance metrics and neural activation in both beta and theta bands, particularly in the frontal cortex. Comprehensive multivariate analysis revealed frontal cortex beta-band activity to be a significant correlate of performance, particularly during decision-making and memory recall, underscoring its role in executive functions crucial to situational performance in policing. Contrary to studies that find higher activation leads to better outcomes, lower beta-band activation correlated to better performance. Additionally, ECG showed minimal predictive value during multivariate testing. This marks the first time EEG and ECG measures have been integrated into a single model predicting performance in policing. These findings contribute novel insights into the psychophysiological study of police performance, highlighting important implications for enhancing training, evaluation, and research methodologies in applied law enforcement settings.

High-altitude electrical work is a high-risk and physically demanding occupation that has received limited empirical investigation, particularly regarding the physiological and psychological fatigue experienced during operations. This study provides an initial empirical exploration into fatigue among high-altitude electrical workers by examining the relationship between subjective fatigue perception and multiple physiological indicators in realistic working environments. Thirty professional high-altitude electrical workers participated in field-based measurements conducted during routine summer operations. A combination of subjective (Fatigue Severity Scale) and objective indicators-such as LF/HF, grip strength, reaction time, and critical flicker frequency-was used to assess fatigue. The experimental protocol was designed to closely mirror actual work conditions, and over 1,200 valid data points were collected across repeated measures. Spearman correlation and multiple regression analyses were employed to evaluate the association between physiological indicators and subjective fatigue ratings. Significant correlations were observed between subjective fatigue levels and several physiological indicators, particularly LF/HF (β = -0.523, p < 0.001), grip strength (β = -1.076, p < 0.001), CFF (β = -4.138, p < 0.001), and RT (β = 2.984, p < 0.001). These findings suggest these indicators may be sensitive to short-term fatigue fluctuations under operational stress. In contrast, ETCO₂ did not show a significant relationship with subjective fatigue, likely due to its physiological stability and limited responsiveness in non-clinical field conditions. This study offers preliminary evidence supporting the feasibility of combining multiple physiological and psychological indicators for fatigue monitoring in high-altitude electrical work. The results underscore the multifaceted nature of fatigue and highlight the importance of context-specific evaluation frameworks. Future studies should further refine these indicators and expand the sample scope to enhance generalizability and practical applicability in occupational health management.

Building on prior psychophysiological stress regulation and adaptation literature (e.g., Allostatic load (AL) and Neurovisceral Integration (NVI) models), the current study explores the emerging nonlinear heart rate variability (HRV) metric-heart rate fragmentation (HRF)-and it's efficacy as a potential AL biomarker to distinguish psychosocial stress reactivity conditions and predicting subclinical mental health symptomology in healthy adults. One hundred and fifty-six (n = 156) undergraduate student participants were fitted with a chest band to monitor cardiovascular activity and completed online demographic and psychosocial surveys. Participants were grouped as healthy or displaying probable mental health symptoms (pMH; n = 94, 60.25% of sample) based on scoring above associated inventory thresholds for depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Subsequently, cardiovascular activity was measured to capture HRF under the established "RRR" experimental stress paradigm: a resting baseline, reactivity to an acute stressor task, and a paced breathing recovery. Results support the global study aim in which HRF significantly differentiated between each RRR condition (p < 0.001). While healthy and pMH individuals did not significantly differ within individual conditions, exploratory analyses revealed that healthy individuals displayed significantly greater HRF reactivity between conditions (p's < 0.001) in comparison to the pMH sample, which displayed a more blunted pattern. Overall, this study establishes associations between HRF and mental health, serving as a promising biomarker that contributes towards the AL and NVI models of stress regulation and adaptation. HRF may also identify early signs of adverse dysregulation in samples otherwise considered "healthy", while addressing the limitations of frequently used HRV biomarkers in non-clinical studies.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often associated with autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation and reduced heart rate variability (HRV), potentially affecting cognition. This study tested whether HRV biofeedback (HRV-B) improved resting HRV and stress recovery in individuals with TBI compared to sham control. We also examined whether HRV changes related to physical symptoms, emotional well-being, cognitive performance, and adherence. Fifty-eight participants with TBI enrolled; 49 completed the study (HRV-B: 25, mean age 27.1; sham: 24, mean age 26.6). Participants attended five weekly sessions. Assessments included cognitive, emotional, and physical outcomes. HRV metrics (HF, LF, LF/HF, SDNN, RMSSD) were collected via electrocardiogram. The HRV-B group showed a higher LF/HF ratio at rest (F(1, 43) = 9.38, p = 0.004) and during stress recovery (F(1, 172) = 4.27, p = 0.040) than sham. A group-by-session interaction (F(1, 172) = 4.18, p = 0.04) indicated an LF/HF increase over time for HRV-B. Condition effects for HF (log), RMSSD, and SDNN at rest favored sham but disappeared after adjusting for pre-assessment values. LF (log) showed no significant effects. Both groups improved in Fluid Cognition and Total Composite scores, with no between-group differences. Anxiety and depression decreased over sessions, with greater depression improvement in HRV-B. No group effects emerged for stress or life satisfaction. HRV-B increased LF/HF ratio at rest and during stressor recovery, possibly reflecting baroreflex engagement. However, other HRV condition effects attenuated after adjusting for baseline values. Cognitive and emotional gains were observed in both groups.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is considered as an objective assessment of stress, that considerably increased the last decades. The influence of Brief Mindfulness Meditation (BMM) on HRV contains gaps in the literature. This study aims to investigate the influence of BMM on HRV. A systematic search was conducted in four databases (i.e., PubMed NCBI, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science). To be included, these studies were required to evaluate HRV before and during or after a BMM intervention. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated with the revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias and the quality of the evidence was assessed with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Three studies had within subject design, two studies compared BMM with other relaxation techniques, one study was a controlled trial, and one study was an uncontrolled trial. Three studies, including 120 participants, found that BMM is associated with an increase of Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD). Two studies reported an increase of the LF/HF ratio; however, the quality of the evidence was low. Although the large amount of heterogeneity can be seen as the main limitation, the results suggest that RMSSD may increase in the short-term during or after BMM, suggesting that BMM might be a promising psychological intervention to temporally reduce the physiological stress of the population. Future randomised controlled trials, measuring long-term effects of BMM on HRV, need to be conducted.Registration and information: This systematic review was registered on the international Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (#CRD42022291907). The review protocol can be accessed on the following link: brief mindfulness and heart rate variability .