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Background: This study evaluates the heart rate variability (HRV), body composition parameters, physical activity level means by International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and sleep quality [means by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)] in non-obese, overweight, and obese individuals. Methods: 51 adults were included in this study. The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 39 years old, and they underwent vital signs measurement, nutritional status classification means body mass index (BMI), and body composition through the bioelectrical impedance (BIA), questionnaires (IPAQ and PSQI), and HRV measurement. Results: The most influenced body composition variables in the normal weight, overweight, and obese groups were age, body weight, BMI, resting metabolic rate, visceral fat level (VFL), skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass (BFM), body fat percentage, and minerals with p < 0.05, for all comparisons. The stress index (SI) was the HRV variable most influenced by different levels of BMI p < 0.05. The PSQI was more influenced by body water, lean mass, fat-free mass, and proteins, with p < 0.05. Furthermore, SI was the only HRV index that negatively correlated (r = − 0.395; p < 0.05) with physical activity (PA) and BFM (r = − 0.409; p < 0.05). Conclusion: Obesity increases stress and sleep disturbance and is reduced with increased PA levels. In addition, PA level was negatively associated with SI and BFM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single session of high-intensity exercise promotes exaggerated increases in sympathetic cardiac activity, which may increase the risk of acute cardiovascular events. However, it is not clear if similar responses occur after an FT session. Thus, this study aimed to: (1) analyze the acute autonomic responses to a single FT session in healthy adults; and (2) compare the autonomic responses to two different orders of exercise during a FT session. Twenty participants completed three experimental sessions in a random order: no exercise/control (C) or FT with different exercise orders (FT1 and FT2). The FT bout consisted of four phases including warm-up, two phases neuromuscular and another with high-intensity interval training. Linear [time–mean RR intervals and standard deviation of all RR intervals (SDNN)–and frequency domains–low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF)] and non-linear parameters [Poincaré index (SD1/SD2 ratio) and Sample Entropy (SampEn)] of heart rate variability were collected before and 60-minutes after the experimental sessions. Data were analyzed by ANOVA with significance achieved at P < 0.05. Compared to the pre-exercise, RR Interval, SDNN, HF and SampEn decreased and LF and SD2/SD1 increased until 60 minutes after FT1 and FT2 (P < 0.05), while no change was found following C session (P > 0.05). Thus, in both FT sessions, all aforementioned parameters were different compared to the same post-exercise time point in the C session (P < 0.05). No differences were found between FT1 and FT2 (P > 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in social communication, social interactions, and repetitive behaviors. The earlier the diagnosis, the sooner the intervention therapy can begin, thus, making early diagnosis an important research goal. Technological innovations have tremendous potential to assist with early diagnosis and improve intervention programs. There is a limited understanding of the Wearable Technologies (WTs) currently available for autistic individuals, and how they measure functioning in this population. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to identify advancement in wearable technologies used to monitor behavioral and physiological responses in the intervention of children with ASD. METHODS: A literature search was performed for English language articles and conference papers indexed in Science direct, PubMed, Web of science, Google scholar, ERIC, ProQuest and Cochrane in last five years (2017–2021), resulting in eighteen studies being reviewed. RESULTS: Wearable technology present a potential solution that can support and complement existing interventions. WTs measured a range of physiological and behavioural functions to objectively measure stereotypical motor movements, social function, communication, and emotion regulation in autistic youth in the context of a range of environments and activities. CONCLUSIONS: Advancement in technology that include behavioral and physiological response monitoring with wearable sensors provide the opportunity to acquire new understanding of the internal components of observable behavior of children with ASD. This could lead to better individualization of treatment and greater treatment effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The intensity and the type of the cardiovascular responses differ depending on the exercise type and intensity and the muscle groups involved. However, the responses in static and dynamic exercises are hardly comparable since the protocol used for grading the intensity of these exercises are different. Thus, we compared the cardiovascular autonomic responses in dynamic and static exercises of same muscle groups at increasing intensities graded using similar heart rate. Methods: 32 subjects performed dynamic and static exercises of lower limbs at 50% (HR50max) and 60% (HR60max) of their maximum achievable heart rates. Continuous ECG was recorded for 2 min during the exercise. Target heart rate specific single beat R–R intervals were extracted from the recorded ECG, and heart rate variability was determined. Results: A factorial two way analysis of variance was conducted on the influence of two independent variables (load and exercise type) on the heart rate variability during different manoeuvres with baseline values taken as covariates. Exercise load had a main effect on HFnu and RMSSD. HFnu increased (p = 0.001) while RMSSD decreased (p = 0.025) with an increase in the exercise load. Exercise type also had a main effect on RMSSD with RMSSD being higher in dynamic exercise (p = 0.028). With increased load, LFnu decreased in dynamic exercise but was maintained in static exercise. Conclusion: Time domain parameter RMSSD decreases with an increase in the exercise load indicating a decrease in vagal modulation of heart rate with an increase in exercise load. RMSSD is more in dynamic exercise compared with static exercise indicating higher vagal modulation in dynamic exercise. However, increase in HFnu with exercise load may be due to the influence of increased ventilation on heart rate modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The present study aimed to elucidate the process involved in spontaneous eyeblinks in a concealed information test (CIT). • Both eyeblinks and autonomic responses were compared between two groups both with and without an intention to conceal crime-related information. • In autonomic measures, the difference between the groups was only in HR, in which the process of arousal inhibition was reflected. • Fewer eyeblinks were found for the crime-related item in both groups, in which the process of selective attention was reflected. • This study suggested that there is still room for improvement in simultaneously measuring eyeblinks and autonomic responses in the CIT. Abstract The concealed information test (CIT), a memory detection test, compares physiological responses to crime-related and crime-unrelated items. This study elucidated processes involving spontaneous eyeblinks during the CIT by manipulating participants' intention to conceal. Thirty-four participants committed mock theft. In the CIT, wherein eyeblinks are measured simultaneously with autonomic responses, the secret group concealed the crime-related item, whereas the no-secret group did not. As a result, heart rate (HR) was modulated by the intention of concealment in autonomic measures, whereas the effect of concealment on the decrease of eyeblinks was not found to be significant. In addition, the latency of the first eyeblink was longer for the crime-related item in both groups. These results imply that CIT eyeblinks mainly involve the process of selective attention for the item, and the latency of the first eyeblink reflects a delay in attentional disengagement from the item. This study also suggested that there is still room for improvement in simultaneously measuring eyeblinks and autonomic responses in the CIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concealed information test ( CIT) assesses an examinee's recognition of a crime-relevant item using physiological measures. However, a guilty examinee not only recognizes the crime-relevant item but also conceals the recognition intentionally. In this study, we attempted to identify the effect of concealing the recognition on event-related potentials and autonomic responses. After committing a mock theft of two items, 30 participants received two CITs: one for an item that they had to conceal, and the other for an item that they had disclosed. N2, P3, heart rate, skin conductance, and cutaneous blood flow differed between crime-relevant and irrelevant items in both CITs. In contrast, late positive potential and respiration differed between crime-relevant and irrelevant items only when the examinee needed to conceal. The former measures appear to be related to orienting process, whereas the latter to controlled process related to concealment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concealed information test (CIT) is based on a comparison between the subject's physiological responses to a probe and irrelevant items in order to detect concealed information. The main purpose of our study was to investigate the CIT accuracy enhancement related to a combination of recording of event-related potentials (ERPs) and autonomic measurements. We tried to maximally liken the experimental conditions to real ones by the use of a criminal context in the 'mock crime' instruction and real innocent subjects instead of hypothetical ones. Fifty-two subjects volunteered and performed just one of the innocent or guilty scenarios. The CIT was designed in five blocks with short interstimulus intervals. In each block, stimuli were presented in the 7th-order balanced sequence. In addition to EEG phenomena, the heart rate, skin conductance responses (SCRs), respiratory activity, and finger plethysmogram were recorded. Statistical analyses showed that there was a significant difference between standardized difference scores of the guilty and innocent groups in both ERP and autonomic measures. The SCR did not achieve the expected results reported in standard autonomic-based CIT studies. A review of the two classification methods showed that the combination of ERP and autonomic measurements enhances the CIT accuracy. The best classification accuracy obtained by the aid of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was 90.9%. It seems that using a criminal context in the 'mock crime' instruction and the reward-punishment system made subjects more attentive and involved in the experiment; therefore, the accuracy was improved compared with that in similar studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Systemic administration of cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotomimetic compound from Cannabis sativa, attenuates the cardiovascular and behavioral responses to restraint stress. Although the brain structures related to CBD effects are not entirely known, they could involve brainstem structures responsible for cardiovascular control. Therefore, to investigate this possibility the present study verified the effects of CBD (15, 30 and 60nmol) injected into the cisterna magna on the autonomic and behavioral changes induced by acute restraint stress. During exposure to restraint stress (1h) there was a significant increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). Also, 24h later the animals showed a decreased percentage of entries onto the open arms of the elevated plus-maze. These effects were attenuated by CBD (30nmol). The drug had no effect on MAP and HR baseline values. These results indicate that intracisternal administration of CBD can attenuate autonomic responses to stress. However, since CBD decreased the anxiogenic consequences of restraint stress, it is possible that the drug is also acting on forebrain structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We examined if emotional faces elicit physiological responses similar to pictures of emotional scenes. Forty one students viewed emotional scenes (negative, neutral, and positive) and emotional faces (angry, neutral, and happy). Heart rate, orbicularis oculi and electrodermal activity were measured continuously, and the startle reflex was elicited. Although the patterns of valence and arousal ratings were comparable, physiological response patterns differed. For scenes we replicated the valence-specific modulation of the startle response, heart rate deceleration, and the arousal-related modulation of the electrodermal response. In contrast, for faces we found valence-specific modulation only for the electrodermal response, but the startle and heart rate deceleration were modulated by arousal. Although arousal differences may account for some differences in physiological responding this shows that not all emotional material that is decoded similarly leads to the same psychophysiological output. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Both age and dementia have been shown to have an effect on nociception and pain processing. The question arises whether mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is thought to be a transitional stage between normal ageing and dementia, is also associated with alterations in pain processing. Objective: The aim of the present study was to answer this question by investigating the impact of age and MCI on the pain response system. Methods: Forty young subjects, 45 cognitively unimpaired elderly subjects and 42 subjects with MCI were investigated by use of an experimental multi-method approach. The subjects were tested for their subjective (pain ratings), motor (RIII reflex), facial (Facial Action Coding System) and their autonomic (sympathetic skin response and evoked heart rate response) responses to noxious electrical stimulation of the nervus suralis. Results: We found significant group differences in the autonomic responses to noxious stimulation. The sympathetic skin response amplitude was significantly reduced in the cognitively unimpaired elderly subjects compared to younger subjects and to an even greater degree in subjects with MCI. The evoked heart rate response was reduced to a similar degree in both groups of aged subjects. Regression analyses within the two groups of the elderly subjects revealed that age and, in the MCI group, cognitive status were significant predictors of the decrease in autonomic responsiveness to noxious stimulation. Except for the autonomic parameters, no other pain parameter differed between the three groups. Conclusion: The pain response system appeared to be quite unaltered in MCI patients compared to cognitively unimpaired individuals of the same age. Only the sympathetic responsiveness qualified as an indicator of early aging effects as well as of pathophysiology associated with MCI, which both seemed to affect the pain system independently from each other. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The concealed information test (CIT) has been used to detect information that examinees possess by means of their autonomic responses. However, the central activities related to these autonomic responses remain unclear. In this study, we simultaneously recorded 128-ch event-related potentials (ERPs) and various autonomic responses (heart rate, respiratory rate, respiratory amplitude, cutaneous blood flow, and skin conductance response) to a critical item (i.e., the item that participants memorized) and to non-critical items (i.e., items other than the critical item) using the standard protocol of the autonomic-based CIT. A topographic analysis of variance and a temporal–spatial principal component analysis revealed that the critical item elicited a larger negative potential (N2b, 205–298 ms) at central regions and a larger positive potential (positive slow wave, 502–744 ms) at parieto-occipital regions, compared to the non-critical items. Correlation analysis across 21 participants showed a significant correlation between N2b increase and heart rate deceleration in response to critical items compared to non-critical items, but there were no autonomic correlates of the positive slow wave. The results suggest that at least two brain processes are involved in the autonomic-based CIT: The first is an attentional-orienting process that facilitates the processing of critical items, to which heart rate deceleration was linked, and the second is an additional process after the identification of critical items. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Gestural communication allows providing information about thoughts and feelings, characterizing face-to-face interactions, also during non-verbal exchanges. In the present study, the autonomic responses and peripheral synchronization mechanisms of two individuals (encoder and decoder) were recorded simultaneously, through the use of biofeedback in hyperscanning, during two different experimental phases consisting in the observation (watching videos of gestures) and reproduction of positive and negative different types of gestures (affective, social and informative) supported by linguistic contexts. Therefore, the main aim of this study was focused on the analysis of simultaneous individuals' peripheral mechanisms during the performing of complex joint action, consisting of the observation (watching videos) and the reproduction of positive and negative social, affective, and informative gestures each supported by a linguistic script. Single-subject and inter-subject correlation analyses were conducted to observe individuals' autonomic responses and physiological synchronization. Single-subject results revealed an increase in emotional arousal, indicated by an increase in electrodermal activity (skin conductance level - SCL and response - SCR), during both the observation (watching videos) and reproduction of negative social and affective gestures contextualized by a linguistic context. Moreover, an increase of emotional engagement, expressed by an increase in heart rate (HR) activity, emerged in the encoder compare to the decoder during gestures reproduction (simulation of gestures). Inter-subject correlation results showed the presence of mirroring mechanisms, indicated by an increase in SCL, SCR, and HR synchronization, during the linguistic contexts and gesture observation (watching videos). Furthermore, an increase in SCL and SCR synchronization emerged during the observation (watching videos) and reproduction of negative social and affective gestures. Therefore, the present study allowed to obtain information on the mirroring mechanisms and physiological synchronization underlying the linguistic and gesture system during non-verbal interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to explore whether people high as opposed to low in speech anxiety react with a more pronounced differential facial response when exposed to angry and happy facial stimuli. High and low fear participants were selected based on their scores on a fear of public speaking questionnaire. All participants were exposed to pictures of angry and happy faces while facial electromyographic (EMG) activity from the Corrugator supercilii and the Zygomaticus major muscle regions was recorded. Skin conductance responses (SCR), heart rate (HR) and ratings were also collected. Participants high as opposed to low in speech anxiety displayed a larger differential corrugator responding, indicating a larger negative emotional reaction, between angry and happy faces. They also reacted with a larger differential zygomatic responding, indicating a larger positive emotional reaction, between happy and angry faces. Consistent with the facial reaction patterns, the high fear group rated angry faces as more unpleasant and as expressing more disgust, and further rated happy faces as more pleasant. There were no differences in SCR or HR responding between high and low speech anxiety groups. The present results support the hypothesis that people high in speech anxiety are disposed to show an exaggerated sensitivity and facial responsiveness to social stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of the literature on sexual differences in autonomic responses to electric shock revealed little information as to whether such differences exist. Eighteen male and 18 female Ss were given a rest period of 15 min. submitted to 1 min of painful electric stimulation, then given a second 15 min rest period. Comparisons were made of autonomic responses of heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure just prior to, during. immediately after the stimulation, and at the end of the second resting period (blood pressure during stimulation being omitted. Results were analyzed by computerized multiple analysis or variance using trend analysis of repeated measures. Men were found to respond to the shock with significant changes in systolic blood pressure while women responded with significant respiratory changes. Although present evidence Is not sufficient to explain the psychophysiological reasons for the differences found in this study, it is suggested that in `jew of the above sex differences, cultural demands may be a contributing (actor to the high incidence of heart disease In men or certain age groups in our society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at a high risk of experiencing pain. Pain management requires assessment, a challenging mission considering the impaired communication skills in IDD. We analyzed subjective and objective responses following calibrated experimental stimuli to determine whether they can differentiate between painful and non-painful states, and adequately quantify pain among individuals with IDD. Eighteen adults with IDD and 21 healthy controls (HC) received experimental pressure stimuli (innocuous, mildly noxious, and moderately noxious). Facial expressions (analyzed with the Facial Action Coding System (FACS)) and autonomic function (heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), pulse, and galvanic skin response (GSR)) were continuously monitored, and self-reports using a pyramid and a numeric scale were obtained. Significant stimulus-response relationships were observed for the FACS and pyramid scores (but not for the numeric scores), and specific action units could differentiate between the noxious levels among the IDD group. FACS scores of the IDD group were higher and steeper than those of HC. HRV was overall lower among the IDD group, and GSR increased during noxious stimulation in both groups. In conclusion, the facial expressions and self-reports seem to reliably detect and quantify pain among individuals with mild-moderate IDD; their enhanced responses may indicate increased pain sensitivity that requires careful clinical consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]