| 1. |
- Annerstedt, Matilda, et al.
(författare)
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Inducing physiological stress recovery with sounds of nature in a virtual reality forest : results from a pilot study
- 2013
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Ingår i: Physiology and Behavior. - 0031-9384 .- 1873-507X. ; 118, s. 240-50
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Experimental research on stress recovery in natural environments is limited, as is study of the effect of sounds of nature. After inducing stress by means of a virtual stress test, we explored physiological recovery in two different virtual natural environments (with and without exposure to sounds of nature) and in one control condition. Cardiovascular data and saliva cortisol were collected. Repeated ANOVA measurements indicated parasympathetic activation in the group subjected to sounds of nature in a virtual natural environment, suggesting enhanced stress recovery may occur in such surroundings. The group that recovered in virtual nature without sound and the control group displayed no particular autonomic activation or deactivation. The results demonstrate a potential mechanistic link between nature, the sounds of nature, and stress recovery, and suggest the potential importance of virtual reality as a tool in this research field.
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| 2. |
- Davidson, Per, et al.
(författare)
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A more generalized fear response after a daytime nap
- 2018
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Ingår i: Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. - : Elsevier. - 1074-7427 .- 1095-9564. ; 151, s. 18-27
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to examine how a daytime nap affected the consolidation of fear learning. Participants first underwent fear conditioning during which they were exposed to a large and a small circle. One of these was repeatedly paired with an electric shock (making it the CS+), whereas the other circle was never paired with the shock (the CS-). After a delay interval containing either a nap or wake, participants again viewed the CS+ and the CS- intermixed with eight novel circles that varied in size between the two stimuli seen before, as well as a blue triangle that served as a novel stimulus without prior fear relevance. We examined both fear retention (the difference between the CS+ and the CS-) as well as fear generalization (responses to the novel stimuli based on their similarity to the original CS+). Contrary to previous studies, results from the participants who acquired a differentiated fear response during the acquisition phase revealed that the wake group showed significantly larger skin conductance responses to the CS+ compared to the CS-, whereas no such difference was present in the sleep group. These results were not driven by differences in explicit memory or by differences in general reactivity. Analyzing responses to the novel stimuli revealed a tendency towards a more generalized response in the sleep group, with no differences between the CS+ and any other stimulus, whereas the wake group showed increased responses to the stimuli depending on their similarity to the original CS+. This effect was however only present when controlling for baseline differences in worry.
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| 3. |
- Davidson, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Does sleep selectively strengthen certain memories over others based on emotion and perceived future relevance?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nature and Science of Sleep. - : Dove Medical Press Ltd.. - 1179-1608. ; 13, s. 1257-1306
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sleep has been found to have a beneficial effect on memory consolidation. It has furthermore frequently been suggested that sleep does not strengthen all memories equally. The first aim of this review paper was to examine whether sleep selectively strengthens emotional declarative memories more than neutral ones. We examined this first by reviewing the literature focusing on sleep/wake contrasts, and then the literature on whether any specific factors during sleep preferentially benefit emotional memories, with a special focus on the often-suggested claim that rapid eye movement sleep primarily consolidates emotional memories. A second aim was to examine if sleep preferentially benefits memories based on other cues of future relevance such as reward, test-expectancy or different instructions during encoding. Once again, we first focused on studies comparing sleep and wake groups, and then on studies examining the contributions of specific factors during sleep (for each future relevance paradigm, respectively). The review revealed that although some support exists that sleep is more beneficial for certain kinds of memories based on emotion or other cues of future relevance, the majority of studies does not support such an effect. Regarding specific factors during sleep, our review revealed that no sleep variable has reliably been found to be specifically associated with the consolidation of certain kinds of memories over others based on emotion or other cues of future relevance.
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| 4. |
- Davidson, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Sleep and the generalization of fear learning
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Sleep Research. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0962-1105 .- 1365-2869. ; 25:1, s. 88-95
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fear conditioning is an important survival mechanism, as is the ability to generalize learned fear responses to stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus. Overgeneralization of fear learning, prominent in many anxiety disorders, is however highly maladaptive. Because sleep is involved in the consolidation of fear learning, and in active processing of information, the present study explored the effect of sleep on generalization of fear learning. Participants watched a random sequence of pictures of a small and a big circle, one of them coupled with an aversive sound. Then, after a delay period containing either a nap or wake, generalization was examined as participants watched the two circles again, together with eight novel circles that gradually varied in size between the former two. Results showed that the fear response increased as a function of similarity to the conditioned response. However, there was no difference in the degree of generalization between the sleep and the wake group.
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| 5. |
- Fich, Lars Brorson, et al.
(författare)
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Can architectural design alter the physiological reaction to psychosocial stress? : a virtual TSST experiment
- 2014
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Ingår i: Physiology and Behavior. - 0031-9384 .- 1873-507X. ; 135, s. 91-97
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It has long been established, that views to natural scenes can a have a dampening effect on physiological stress responses. However, as people in Europe, Canada and North America today spent 50-85% of their time indoors, attention might also be paid to how the artificial man-made indoor environment influences these mechanisms. The question that this study attempts to start addressing is therefore whether certain design, characteristics of indoor spaces can make a difference to the physiological stress response as well. Using a virtual version of the Trier Social Stress Test, in which the space is computer generated and properties of the space therefore can be systematically varied, we measured saliva cortisol and heart rate variability in participants in a closed room versus a room with openings. As shown by a significant linear contrast interaction between groups and TSST conditions, participants in the closed room responded with more pronounced cortisol reactivity to stress induction, and continued to show higher levels throughout recovery, compared to participants in the open room. No differences were found regarding any part of the autonomic nervous system.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Jönsson, Peter, 1964-, et al.
(författare)
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Cardiovascular reactivity in high-, and low-trait anxious individuals during social stress induction
- 2011
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- AimIn two previous studies we report that subjective ratings of state anxiety in healthy individuals co-vary positively with vagally mediated high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), during base line recording before an experimental task, and during social stress induction. In this pilot study cardiovascular regulation was examined during a stressful task in high-, and low trait anxious individuals.Method35 healthy men were divided in to one high- and one low-anxiety group based on the median split of the results of the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory (M = 39.9, SD = 8.5, resp. M = 26.2, SD = 3.3, p < .001). Both groups were confronted with a virtual version of the Tier Social Stress Test (V-TSST), involving two tasks: to hold a speech, and to complete a mathematical task in front of a committee. Heart rate (HR), high frequency HR variability (HF-HRV, related to vagal activity), T-wave amplitude (TWA, inversely related to sympathetic activity) and respiration were assessed before, during, and after the V-TSST.ResultsMain effects showed that during stress HR increased [F(7, 231) = 63.98, p < .001, η2 = .66], TWA decreased [F(7, 231) = 33.69, p < .001, η2 = .51]. Regarding HF-HRV an interaction with trait anxiety was found [F(7, 231) = 2.83, p = .047, η2 = .08; cubic F(1, 33) = 5.51, p = .025, η2 = .14], indicating slightly higher magnitudes during stress for the high anxious group, but lower magnitudes for the low anxious group.DiscussionBoth anxious groups responded with increased HR and sympathetic activity (decreased TWA) during V-TSST. However, the high anxious group showed higher HF-HRV during stress than the low anxious group. Tentatively, the participants with higher trait anxiety activate the vagal system to inhibit the sympathetic system to adequately cope with the stressful situation in order to complete the tasks successfully. It is important, however, to note that the high anxious group doesn’t represent a clinical sample. Clinical anxiety is generally associated with reduced HF-HRV suggested partly being related to poor emotional and attentional control. Healthy individuals with moderate increases in trait anxiety, on the other hand, would likely have a well functioning vagal system to engage in attention demanding and stressful tasks.
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| 8. |
- Karlson, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term stability of return to work after a workplace-oriented intervention for patients on sick leave for burnout
- 2014
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1471-2458 .- 1471-2458. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND:The period from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s saw a rapid increase in long-term sick leave in Sweden, primarily due to mental illness and often related to job burnout. This led to an urge for effective treatment programs that could prevent the often long sick leaves. In 2010 we presented a newly developed work-place intervention method, showing that 89% of the intervention group had returned to work at a 1.5 year follow-up, compared to 73% of the control group. The main aim of this study was to assess the long-term stability of these promising results.METHODS:Sick leave registry data from the Regional Social Insurance Office were analyzed for an additional year (50 weeks) beyond the original 1.5 year period (80 weeks). Data from 68 matched pairs of intervention participants (IP) and controls were available. The proportions of participants being on full-time sick leave versus having returned to work to any extent were computed for every 10th week. Generalized estimating equations were used with GROUP (IP versus controls) as between-subjects factor, WEEKS and AGE as covariates, and return-to-work (RTW) as dependent variable. Significant differences (Wald χ2 with α ≤ .05) was followed up with polynomial contrasts. Individual relapses to higher degrees of sick leave (e.g. from 50% to 100%) and whether partial RTW led to later full-time RTW, were also analyzed.RESULTS:The omnibus test over all 130 weeks showed a GROUP*WEEKS interaction effect (p = .02), indicating differential group developments in RTW, though similarly high at week 130 in both groups with 82.4% of the IP and 77.9% of the controls having RTW (p = .22; χ2-test). A significant interaction with age led to separate analyses of the younger and older subgroups, indicating a stable pattern of superior RTW only among younger IP (week 130: 88.6% vs. 69.7%, p = .054; χ2-test). There was no group difference in relapses into increased degree of sick leave. Part-time sick leave did not predict a later stable full-time RTW.CONCLUSIONS:The previously reported improvement in RTW with the newly developed workplace-oriented intervention showed a long-term stability only among younger participants.
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| 9. |
- Sayols-Baixeras, Sergi, et al.
(författare)
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Streptococcus Species Abundance in the Gut Is Linked to Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis in 8973 Participants From the SCAPIS Cohort
- 2023
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Ingår i: Circulation. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 148:6, s. 459-472
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Gut microbiota have been implicated in atherosclerotic disease, but their relation with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis is unclear. This study aimed to identify associations between the gut microbiome and computed tomography-based measures of coronary atherosclerosis and to explore relevant clinical correlates.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 8973 participants (50 to 65 years of age) without overt atherosclerotic disease from the population-based SCAPIS (Swedish Cardiopulmonary Bioimage Study). Coronary atherosclerosis was measured using coronary artery calcium score and coronary computed tomography angiography. Gut microbiota species abundance and functional potential were assessed with shotgun metagenomics sequencing of stool, and associations with coronary atherosclerosis were evaluated with multivariable regression models adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors. Associated species were evaluated for association with inflammatory markers, metabolites, and corresponding species in saliva.Results: The mean age of the study sample was 57.4 years, and 53.7% were female. Coronary artery calcification was detected in 40.3%, and 5.4% had at least 1 stenosis with >50% occlusion. Sixty-four species were associated with coronary artery calcium score independent of cardiovascular risk factors, with the strongest associations observed for Streptococcus anginosus and Streptococcus oralis subsp oralis (P<1×10-5). Associations were largely similar across coronary computed tomography angiography-based measurements. Out of the 64 species, 19 species, including streptococci and other species commonly found in the oral cavity, were associated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein plasma concentrations, and 16 with neutrophil counts. Gut microbial species that are commonly found in the oral cavity were negatively associated with plasma indole propionate and positively associated with plasma secondary bile acids and imidazole propionate. Five species, including 3 streptococci, correlated with the same species in saliva and were associated with worse dental health in the Malmö Offspring Dental Study. Microbial functional potential of dissimilatory nitrate reduction, anaerobic fatty acid β-oxidation, and amino acid degradation were associated with coronary artery calcium score.Conclusions: This study provides evidence of an association of a gut microbiota composition characterized by increased abundance of Streptococcus spp and other species commonly found in the oral cavity with coronary atherosclerosis and systemic inflammation markers. Further longitudinal and experimental studies are warranted to explore the potential implications of a bacterial component in atherogenesis.
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