Interoceptive accuracy, emotion recognition, and emotion regulation in preschool children

in International Journal of Psychophysiology (2019), 138(1), 47-56

Little is known about the conscious experience of internal bodily sensations in preschool-aged children. Given that preschoolers are in the most rapid phase of brain development, and display profound ... [more ▼]

Little is known about the conscious experience of internal bodily sensations in preschool-aged children. Given that preschoolers are in the most rapid phase of brain development, and display profound emotional development, it was the aim of the present study to establish an adapted interoceptive accuracy paradigm and to investigate associations between sociodemographic (age, sex) and emotional variables with interoceptive accuracy. Forty-nine children (aged 4-6 years) completed the jumping jack paradigm, a heartbeat tracking paradigm, which includes a noninvasive physical perturbation via performing jumping jacks for 10 seconds. An interoceptive accuracy score was based on the comparison between self-reported and objectively recorded heart rate prior to and after completion of jumping jacks. Children also completed validated measures for emotion recognition and emotion regulation. Children’s objectively recorded heart rate significantly increased after the JJP by 20 bpm on average. There was a positive relationship between reactivity on self-reported heart rate and objectively recorded heart rate increase. The derived scores for interoceptive accuracy increased with age, suggesting older children to report more self-reported heart rate change than objectively recorded, but were unrelated to children’s sex or BMI. While emotion recognition and regulation significantly increased with age, the interoceptive accuracy score was unrelated to emotion recognition, but marginally associated to emotion regulation. Children with higher interceptive accuracy score (i.e., self-reporting more heart rate change than objectively recorded) received lower emotion regulation score. The present study is the first to depict a novel behavioral paradigm to assess interoceptive accuracy in preschool-aged children. [less ▲]

Startle responding in the context of visceral pain

in International Journal of Psychophysiology (2015), 98(1), 128-134

This study aimed to investigate affective modulation of eye blink startle by aversive visceral stimulation. Startle blink EMG responses were measured in 31 healthy participants receiving painful ... [more ▼]

This study aimed to investigate affective modulation of eye blink startle by aversive visceral stimulation. Startle blink EMG responses were measured in 31 healthy participants receiving painful, intermittent balloon distentions in the distal esophagus during 4 blocks (positive, negative, neutral or no pictures), and compared with startles during 3 ‘safe’ blocks without esophageal stimulations (positive, negative or neutral emotional pictures). Women showed enhanced startle during blocks with distentions (as compared with ‘safe’ blocks), both when the balloon was in inflated and deflated states, suggesting that fear and/or expectations may have played a role. Men's startle did not differ between distention and non-distention blocks. In this particular study context affective picture viewing did not further impose any effect on startle eye blink responses. The current results may contribute to a better understanding of emotional reactions to aversive interoceptive stimulation. [less ▲]

Atypical modulation of startle in women in face of aversive bodily sensations

in International Journal of Psychophysiology (2013), 88(2), 157-163

Eye blink startle magnitude is assumed to be higher in threatening contexts. A scarce amount of studies suggest that this does not hold true when startle is measured during perceived threats to ... [more ▼]

Eye blink startle magnitude is assumed to be higher in threatening contexts. A scarce amount of studies suggest that this does not hold true when startle is measured during perceived threats to homeostatic integrity. The present study was set up to describe the startle response pattern to a selection of interoceptive stimuli. Female subjects (N = 36) were exposed once to 90 s of continued (1) cold pain, (2) inhalation of a gas mixture of 7.5% CO2, and (3) breathing against an inspiratory and expiratory resistive load. Each stimulus was preceded and followed by a 90 second period of rest, respectively labeled baseline and recovery. Even after correcting eye blink startle responses for habituation, a decreased startle amplitude was evident during these stimuli. Results suggest that startle amplitude during aversive stimulation is inversely correlated with perceived fearfulness for women, although further studies are necessary to corroborate this interpretation. [less ▲]

Cold pressor stress affects cardiac attenuation of startle

in International Journal of Psychophysiology (2011), 79(3), 385-391

Serum lipid concentrations, hostility, and cardiovascular reactions to mental stress

in International Journal of Psychophysiology (1998), 28

The objective of the present study was to determine whether serum lipid concentrations interact with hostility to affect cardiovascular responses to mental stress. One-hundred and seventy-four male ... [more ▼]

The objective of the present study was to determine whether serum lipid concentrations interact with hostility to affect cardiovascular responses to mental stress. One-hundred and seventy-four male subjects were screened with the Cook and Medley hostility scale (Ho), the anger expression inventory by Spielberger and a general health questionnaire. Subjects in the upper (n = 22) and lower (n = 22) quartile of the Ho score distribution were asked to take part in a laboratory experiment. Continuous measures of heart rate, blood pressure, respiration and electrodermal activity were taken while participants carried out a series of behavioral maneuvres, including mental arithmetic and mirror star tracing. Prior to the experiment fasting blood samples were taken for lipid determinations. The results show higher heart rate reactivity in high hostile than low hostile subjects. High hostile subjects also reported more anger and frustration in response to tasks. Hostility groups differed in lipid levels in that high hostiles had higher triglyceride and VLDL-c concentrations than low hostiles. Cholesterol levels showed an inverse association with cardiovascular reactivity but only in low hostile subjects. No such associations could be found in high hostiles. We conclude that there is partial support for both, the hyperreactivity and the health behavior model linking hostility and cardiovascular disorder. [less ▲]