<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> The response of autonomic nervous system to mental stress is currently studied as a key role factor in the pathophysiology of stress related diseases. Altered autonomic regulation can result in increased morbidity, potentially affecting (directly or indirectly) any of the organs. Cardiovascular system (CVS) is one of the most sensitive systems to the effect of autonomic outputs. The predictive value of the laboratory stress tests was proved in several studies with CVS pathology. In this study we aimed to assess the autonomic reactivity to different mental stressors (cognitive and emotional) in healthy subjects using electrodermal activity (EDA) as a sensitive psychophysiological marker of sympathetic activity. We found significantly increased EDA in response to all the mental tasks with decrease of the values during recovery periods. However, EDA did not return to the baseline values during recovery periods, potentially indicating the sympathetic arousal during complete stress profile protocol. We suggest EDA presents a well applicable marker of the sympathetic activation, offering a different information about central regulation processes regarding the sympathetic activity compared to cardiac autonomic indices.</p></abstract>

The response of autonomic nervous system to mental stress is currently studied as a key role factor in the pathophysiology of stress related diseases. Altered autonomic regulation can result in increased morbidity, potentially affecting (directly or indirectly) any of the organs. Cardiovascular system (CVS) is one of the most sensitive systems to the effect of autonomic outputs. The predictive value of the laboratory stress tests was proved in several studies with CVS pathology. In this study we aimed to assess the autonomic reactivity to different mental stressors (cognitive and emotional) in healthy subjects using electrodermal activity (EDA) as a sensitive psychophysiological marker of sympathetic activity. We found significantly increased EDA in response to all the mental tasks with decrease of the values during recovery periods. However, EDA did not return to the baseline values during recovery periods, potentially indicating the sympathetic arousal during complete stress profile protocol. We suggest EDA presents a well applicable marker of the sympathetic activation, offering a different information about central regulation processes regarding the sympathetic activity compared to cardiac autonomic indices.

The Assessment of the Autonomic Response to Acute Stress Using Electrodermal Activity

Department of Physiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovak Republic

MD., Dept. of Physiology, JFM CU, Mala Hora 4, 03601 Martin, Slovak Republic Phone: +421432633466

Acta Medica Martiniana

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The response of autonomic nervous system to mental stress is currently studied as a key role factor in the pathophysiology of stress related diseases. Altered...

The Assessment of the Autonomic Response to Acute Stress Using Electrodermal Activity

Published Online: Oct 03, 2014

Page range: 5 - 9

Received: Apr 07, 2014

Accepted: May 06, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acm-2014-0006

Keywords
mental stress, electrodermal activity, autonomic regulation, emotions, sympathetic reactivity

© by Mestanlk M.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The Assessment of the Autonomic Response to Acute Stress Using Electrodermal Activity

Published Online: Oct 03, 2014

Page range: 5 - 9

Received: Apr 07, 2014

Accepted: May 06, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acm-2014-0006

Keywordsmental stress, electrodermal activity, autonomic regulation, emotions, sympathetic reactivity

© by Mestanlk M.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
mental stress, electrodermal activity, autonomic regulation, emotions, sympathetic reactivity