Heart rate and cardiac phase influences on visual perception.

26 undergraduates were tested with a tachistoscopic recognition task while heart rate (HR) and several other autonomic indexes were monitored. In Exp I, HR was employed as an independent variable, and stimulus presentation was contingent upon the presence of individually determined low, middle, and high HRs. Results indicate that low HR facilitated performance especially for stimuli presented at the fastest exposure. In Exp II, stimulus presentation was dependent upon cardiac phase. Findings indicate that stimulus recognition was enhanced during the cardiac P wave, but the effect was apparent only during the fastest exposure. Multiple regression analyses of the individual S's data during both experiments indicated that highly idiosyncratic patterns of physiological responses predicted perceptual performance. Results are consistent with the formulations of B. C. Lacey and J. I. Lacey (1958, 1967, 1974, etc.) and suggest that cerebral perfusion be considered as a relevant determinant of behavior. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the etiology of neurosis.

Evaluated the concept of predisposition to neurosis within the context of 2 broad classes of interaction: (a) between organismic and socialization variables which produce relevant dispositions and (b) between these dispositions and current environmental conditions. It is suggested that treating abnormal behavior as a dependent rather than as an independent variable may be a useful approach in studying its etiology. Implications of this analysis for theoretical and methodological approaches to etiology of neurotic phenomena are discussed. (52 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapy and the recovery from neurosis.

"Available evidence suggests that psychotherapy can be effective in alleviating minor maladjustments characterized by such objective states as 'unhappiness,' 'anxiety,' and tension' that often accompany neurosis. But the evidence does not yet support the view that psychotherapy is effective in relieving those gross and persistent maladjustments (neuroses) that are characterized by definite, palpable symptoms. Whether it has any effect on these is a question which only future research can settle." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart rate variability and newborn heart rate responses to illumination changes.

Investigated heart rate (HR) response patterns to the onset and offset of a 30-sec increase in illumination in 16 human newborns. Ss were divided into 2 groups based on a measure of pretrial HR variability. Only Ss with the high pretrial HR variability responded significantly to the change in stimulation. The response to onset was characterized by a significant quartic trend containing both decelerative and accelerative components. The response to offset only approached significance and had a pattern similar to the onset response. Although the occurrence of systematic response patterns was related to the level of pretrial HR variability, this measure of autonomic lability may have been related to influences associated with delivery and not to stable individual differences. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart rate perception in the Type A personality.

Compared 28 male students with Type A (coronary prone) behavior with 28 Type B (noncoronary prone) behavior males for accuracy in estimating their own heart rates at rest and in response to a mild cognitive stressor. Type A behavior was measured by the Jenkins Activity Survey of D. S. Krantz et al (1974). Both types had significant heart rate increases in the stress periods, but these were greater for Type A Ss. Type A Ss overestimated their heart rate at rest and during stress more often than did Type B Ss. Feedback resulted in more nearly correct estimations by both groups. Type A Ss perceived themselves as being more aroused than did Type B Ss, a finding inconsistent with the hypothesis that Type A individuals underestimate their response to stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart rate and GSR concomitants of vigilance and arousal.

In an experiment with 16 male undergraduates, Ss receiving high shock were considerably more autonomically aroused than low shock Ss, as indicated both by an index of GSR, and by heart rate uncorrected for base level. When corrected, heart rate did not differentiate between Ss receiving high and low level shock. In a within Ss comparison, however, UCS temporal uncertainty generated lower corrected heart rate than UCS-certainty, and did so independently of shock level. It is unlikely that UCS-uncertainty was less anxiety arousing than UCS-certainty; indeed, GSR data suggest the contrary. The decrease in heart rate during UCS-uncertain trials is presumed to be a function of Ss' increased vigilance for uncertainty removing cues. The cognitive orientation toward environmental intake which such vigilance implies should, according to J. I. Lacey, be accompanied by cardiac deceleration. It is argued that such cognitive aspects of cardiac functioning are superimposed over gross cardiac responsiveness to autonomic arousal. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart rate and mortality]

1. Glutamate is the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, but it is also a potent neurotoxin. Following release of glutamate from presynaptic vesicles into the synapse and activation of a variety of ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, glutamate is removed from the synapse. This is achieved through active uptake of glutamate by transporters located pre- and also post-synaptically or, alternatively, glutamate can diffuse out of the synapse and be taken up by transporters located on the cell surface of glial cells. 2. Complementary DNA encoding a number of glutamate transporters have recently been cloned and form a family of structurally related membrane proteins with a high degree of amino acid sequence conservation. Expression of the cloned glutamate transporters in various cell types has aided in the characterization of the functional properties of the different transporter subtypes. 3. Glutamate transport is coupled to sodium, potassium and pH gradients across the cell membrane creating an electrogenic process. This allows transport to be measured using electrophysiological techniques, which has greatly aided in understanding some of the basic mechanisms of the transport process and has also allowed a detailed understanding of the molecular pharmacology of the different transporter subtypes. 4. In the present review I shall discuss some of the recent advances in understanding the molecular basis for glutamate transporter function and then highlight some of the unanswered questions concerning the physiological roles of these proteins and suggest possible strategies for pharmacological manipulation of transporters for the treatment of neurological disorders.     

Response rate and sensitivity to the molar feedback function relating response and reinforcement rate on VI+ schedules of reinforcement.

In 5 experiments, the author examined rats' sensitivity to the molar feedback function relating response rate to reinforcement rate on schedules of reinforcement. These studies demonstrated that, at lower rates of responding, rats' performance on variable ratio (VR), variable interval (VI), and variable interval with linear feedback loop (VI+) schedules was determined largely by reinforcement of interresponse times; response rates were faster on VR than on both VI and VI+ schedules. In contrast, when procedures were adopted to maintain high rates of response, rats showed sensitivity to the molar characteristics of the schedules; they responded as fast on a VI+ schedule as on a VR schedule and faster on both of these schedules than on a yoked VI schedule. When the variance of response rate was manipulated, this factor was noted as an important element in determining sensitivity to the molar characteristics of the schedule. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart rate variability, the autonomic nervous system, and neuroeconomic experiments.

Measuring the activity of the autonomic nervous system may yield insights into individual stress levels. One small, nonintrusive instrument for collecting such data is a high-resolution heart rate monitor that allows measurement of heart rate variability (HRV). This complements brain-scanning methods and increases the number of participants that can be studied simultaneously. Combining HRV data with recorded data on the decisions made in experimental games throws light on how different individuals react in (economic) decision-making situations. This article therefore introduces the HRV measurement method and, using data from an ultimatum bargaining experiment in a laboratory environment, illustrates its application in experimental economic research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart rate variability and preoperative anxiety

Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability has been used to gain some understanding of the activity of the autonomic nervous system. In this study various indices of heart rate variability were related to the degree of preoperative anxiety experienced by 32 patients presenting for day case surgery. It was found that there was no correlation between anxiety and mean heart rate, or between anxiety and the spectral power in the mid frequency band (0.05-0.15 Hz). However, there was an increase in the relative power of the higher frequency band (0.15-0.5 Hz) with increasing anxiety levels (Spearman correlation r = 0.4034). This suggests that preoperative anxiety may often be associated with a relative vagal predominance in the sympathovagal balance.     

Heart rate variability and heart rate in healthy volunteers. Is the female autonomic nervous system cardioprotective?

AIMS: Heart rate variability has been proposed as an indicator of cardiovascular health. Since women have a lower cardiovascular risk, we hypothesized that there are gender differences in autonomic modulation. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 276 healthy subjects (135 women, 141 men) between 18 and 71 years of age, 24 h heart rate and heart rate variability were determined. All heart rate variability parameters, except for pNN50 and high frequency power, were higher in men. After adjustment for heart rate, we obtained gender differences for: the standard deviation (P=0.049), the standard deviation of the 5 min average (P=0.047), low frequency power (absolute values, P=0.002; normalized units, P<0.001) and ratio low frequency/high frequency (P<0.001). There were no significant gender differences in heart rate variability parameters denoting vagal modulation. Gender differences were confined to age categories of less than 40 years of age. The majority of heart rate variability parameters decreased with age. Only in men, was a higher body mass index associated with a higher heart rate and with lower heart rate variability parameters (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Cardiac autonomic modulation as determined by heart rate variability, is significantly lower in healthy women compared to healthy men. We hypothesize that this apparently paradoxical finding may be explained by lower sympathetic activity (low frequency power) in women. This may provide protection against arrhythmias and against the development of coronary heart disease.     

Heart rate and skin conductance in behaviorally inhibited Mauritian children.

This study tested predictions that inhibited versus uninhibited children exhibit higher heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC) arousal. Mauritian children (N?=?1,795) were tested at age 3 and classified as inhibited, middle, or uninhibited on the basis of social behavior. HR level and several SC measures were obtained immediately before or during a tone task. Inhibited children displayed significantly higher HR and SC levels and longer SC latency relative to uninhibited children. Results remained regardless of ethnicity, gender, height, weight, respiratory complaints, or crying behavior. Findings suggest that HR and SC levels may be early indicators of inhibited or uninhibited behavior at age 3 and support the notion of heightened sympathetic reactivity due to limbic arousal in inhibited children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Compulsive neurosis: A review of the literature.

Examines the literature relating to obsessions and compulsions from the early identification of the syndrome to contemporary theorizing. The essential characteristic of compulsion is subjective resistance and stereotypy alone is insufficient to delineate the disorder. There is a distinction to be made between symptoms and traits, and the use of the term obsessional personality to describe a careful, thorough, and punctual person is misleading. Compulsive disorders (both cognitive and motor) are dependent on anxiety in the acute stages, and overt symptoms (whether active or passive) serve to reduce anxiety. Existing learning theory models are inadequate, but recent approaches using decision theory concepts are more promising and can incorporate those instances in which conditioning principles apply as special cases. (53 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awareness of the response after feedback training for changes in heart rate and sudomotor laterality.

Examined the relation between (a) the ability to control visceral responding on a biofeedback (BFB) task and (b) the ability to report behaviors actually contributing to this performance in 4 experiments with 97 male Ss. Ss received BFB training for unidentified visceral responses and then gave written reports about what they had done to control BFB displays. Independent judges were given these reports and, on the basis of knowledge about activities known to contribute to visceral activity, were asked to determine the visceral responses for which Ss had been trained. The reports of Ss who succeeded at bidirectional control of heart rate (Exp I) or sudomotor laterality (Exp II) showed awareness of behaviors related to BFB as assessed by this procedure, whereas the reports of Ss who failed at bidirectional control did not. Subsequent experiments indicated that these results did not depend on a learning strategy that might have been specific to the initial studies. Findings question the view that people are unaware of what they have done to produce the response after training on BFB tasks. (81 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Actual neurosis and PTSD: The impact of the other.

The authors argue that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not an automatic consequence of a trauma. A review of empirical research demonstrates that there must be subjective mediating factors. On the basis of a conceptual reasoning, the existence of an actual-neurotic structure prior to the traumatic event is put forward as a precondition for the development of PTSD. Freud's theory on actual neurosis is interpreted as the impossibility to process the arousal coming from the drive in a symbolic way. The reason for this impossibility is sought in the failure of the primary caretakers in presenting the child with the necessary symbolic tools for drive regulation. The therapeutic implications of the presence of an actual-neurotic structure are important, because it can lead to a failure of free association. Suggestions for a more fruitful approach are formulated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart rate variability in evaluation of the autonomic nervous system. A review

Analysis of heart rate variability is increasingly used for testing the function of the autonomic nervous system in cardiovascular disease and for the diagnosis of autonomic neuropathy. In cardiovascular disease, long-term data collection (several hours) is primarily used to describe the static activity in the different branches of the autonomic nervous system. In the diagnosis of autonomic neuropathy, short-term forced variations in heart rate are employed in order to describe the dynamic capacity of the parasympathetic nervous system. In the subsequent data-analysis several different principles may be used, and the purpose of this review is to describe these principles and their use in clinical and experimental settings.     

Rigidity in neurosis and general personality functioning.

That neurotics manifested greater rigidity than nonneurotics was the major assumption tested. Rigidity was measured in five different areas of psychological functioning, viz., problem solving, motor, learning, perception, and concept formation. The results confirmed the hypothesis to at least the .05 level of confidence in all areas except problem solving and some aspect of a learning task. Neurotics were seen not to be rigid on all tasks uniformly. Some interneurotic differences were noted; anxiety neurotics seemed to be more rigid on some tasks, obsessive on others. Further exploration was called for to validate this observation. From Psyc Abstracts 36:02:2JT89P. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A dual model of obsessional neurosis.

Presents a dual model that describes the learning and treatment of obsessive thoughts or compulsive rituals. The model differs from previous formulations by postulating 2 separate learning mechanisms consisting of guilt or anxiety reduction. Strategies for treatment based on the model are discussed. 2 case studies, one of a 20-yr-old female and the other of a 12-yr-old male, are presented in which therapeutic outcomes are consistent with predictions derived from the model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart rate arousal and excitement in gambling: Winners versus losers.

People sometimes claim they gamble for excitement rather than money. The authors examined in a laboratory analog whether excitement is generated by the expectancy of winning money. Eighty male undergraduate students watched a videotaped horse race with an exciting neck-to-neck finish. Half bet $1 for a chance of winning $7 if they picked the winning horse; the other half predicted the winning horse without wagering. Winning and losing were experimentally manipulated. Participants with a chance to win money showed greater heart rate (HR) elevations and reported more subjective excitement while watching the race compared with those who did not wager. Of students who wagered, the winners showed higher HRs after the end of the race than did those who lost, even though differences in subjective excitement were not statistically significant. The findings suggest that the expectancy of winning money is an important contributing factor to the excitement associated with gambling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Affect and the fundamental nature of neurosis: Logic and reality.

Suggests an alternative theory of symptom and neurosis based on concepts of affect and affect process, distinctions among past concepts, and participation of affect dynamics in health and illness. Personality theory based on transient affect has more credibility and has clinical advantage over personality theory based on concepts of enduring affect. Concepts of affect phobia, affect potentiation, affect storm, affect function, affect process, storm structure, conscious affect, and unconscious affect are presented. The proposed theory (1) calls for consideration of independent simultaneity, rather than sequentiality of affect and cognition, and reconsideration of the place of anxiety in psychology, and (2) implies the use of different treatment paradigms for each category of disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)