Menashri Sinai Yarden, Ma Yaopeng X J, Abba Daleski Michal, Gannot Sharon, Bartsch Ronny P, Gordon Ilanit
The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
Department of Physics, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2024 Mar 13;18:1363891. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1363891. eCollection 2024.
To date, studies focusing on the connection between psychological functioning and autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity usually adopted the one-dimensional model of autonomic balance, according to which activation of one branch of the ANS is accompanied by an inhibition of the other. However, the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches also activate independently; thus, co-activation and co-inhibition may occur, which is demonstrated by a two-dimensional model of ANS activity. Here, we apply such models to assess how markers of the autonomic space relate to several critical psychological constructs: emotional contagion (EC), general anxiety, and positive and negative affect (PA and NA). We also examined gender differences in those psychophysiological relations.
In the present study, we analyzed data from 408 healthy students, who underwent a 5-min group baseline period as part of their participation in several experiments and completed self-reported questionnaires. Electrocardiogram (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA), and respiration were recorded. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), pre-ejection period (PEP), as well as cardiac autonomic balance (CAB) and regulation (CAR) and cross-system autonomic balance (CSAB) and regulation (CSAR), were calculated.
Notably, two-dimensional models were more suitable for predicting and describing most psychological constructs. Gender differences were found in psychological and physiological aspects as well as in psychophysiological relations. Women's EC scores were negatively correlated with sympathetic activity and positively linked to parasympathetic dominance. Men's PA and NA scores were positively associated with sympathetic activity. PA in men also had a positive link to an overall activation of the ANS, and a negative link to parasympathetic dominance.
The current results expand our understanding of the psychological aspects of the autonomic space model and psychophysiological associations. Gender differences and strengths and weaknesses of alternative physiological models are discussed.
迄今为止，关注心理功能与自主神经系统（ANS）活动之间联系的研究通常采用自主神经平衡的一维模型，根据该模型，ANS的一个分支的激活伴随着另一个分支的抑制。然而，交感神经和副交感神经分支也会独立激活；因此，可能会出现共同激活和共同抑制，这在ANS活动的二维模型中得到了证明。在这里，我们应用这些模型来评估自主神经空间的标志物与几个关键心理结构之间的关系：情绪感染（EC）、一般焦虑以及积极和消极情绪（PA和NA）。我们还研究了这些心理生理关系中的性别差异。
在本研究中，我们分析了408名健康学生的数据，他们作为参与多个实验的一部分，经历了5分钟的小组基线期，并完成了自我报告问卷。记录了心电图（ECG）、皮肤电活动（EDA）和呼吸。计算了呼吸性窦性心律不齐（RSA）、射血前期（PEP）以及心脏自主神经平衡（CAB）和调节（CAR）以及跨系统自主神经平衡（CSAB）和调节（CSAR）。
值得注意的是，二维模型更适合预测和描述大多数心理结构。在心理和生理方面以及心理生理关系中发现了性别差异。女性的EC得分与交感神经活动呈负相关，与副交感神经优势呈正相关。男性的PA和NA得分与交感神经活动呈正相关。男性的PA也与ANS的整体激活呈正相关，与副交感神经优势呈负相关。
目前的结果扩展了我们对自主神经空间模型的心理方面和心理生理关联的理解。讨论了性别差异以及替代生理模型的优缺点。
