Autonomic nervous system reactivity to positive and negative mood induction: The role of acute psychological responses and frontal electrocortical activity

• Published in: Biological psychology Vol. 86; no. 3; pp. 230 - 238
• Main Authors: Kop, Willem J., Synowski, Stephen J., Newell, Miranda E., Schmidt, Louis A., Waldstein, Shari R., Fox, Nathan A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.03.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Affect - physiology; Attention - physiology; Autonomic nervous system; Autonomic Nervous System - physiology; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Electrocardiography - methods; Electroencephalography; Electroencephalography - methods; Emotion; Evoked Potentials - physiology; Female; Frontal Lobe - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart Rate - physiology; Heart rate variability; Humans; Male; Mental Recall - physiology; Negative affect; Neuropsychological Tests; Positive affect; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reaction Time - physiology; Young Adult; Brain; Autonomic nervous system; Electroencephalography; Emotion; Heart rate variability; Positive affect; Negative affect; Affect affectivity; Induction; Acute; Variability; Central nervous system; Electrophysiology; Emotion emotionality; Encephalon; Heart rate; Mood; Reactivity
• ISSN: 0301-0511; 1873-6246; 1873-6246
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.12.003

▶ Effects of acute mood states were examined on responses in the autonomic nervous system, using heart rate variability (LF and HF HRV) analysis, and the central nervous system, using electroencephalography (EEG). ▶ Tasks included event recall tasks (Happiness Recall and Anger Recall) and a computer-based Stroop Color Word Test (SCWT). ▶ Happiness Recall resulted in increased LF-HRV but not HF-HRV, Anger Recall did not change HRV, and the SCWT produced decreases in HF-HRV and LF-HRV. ▶ Associations between EEG brain activation and HRV responses were mostly non-significant, ▶ This study shows that positive and negative mood induction result in differential HRV and EEG responses, and that these responses are related to both task characteristics and the intensity of task-induced emotions. The differential effects of positive versus negative emotions on autonomic nervous system activity are insufficiently understood. This study examined the role of acute mood responses and central nervous system activity on heart rate variability (HRV) using 5-min event recall tasks (happiness and anger recall) and a 5-min Stroop Color Word Test (SCWT) in 20 healthy individuals (mean age 25±4 years, 55% female). HRV was measured in high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF) domains, and frontal brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) in the alpha frequency band in F3 and F4. Happiness Recall resulted in increased LF-HRV (p=0.005) but not HF-HRV (p=0.71). Anger Recall did not change HRV (p-values>0.10). The SCWT produced decreases in HF-HRV (p=0.001) as well as LF-HRV (p=0.001). The magnitude of feeling “happy” during Happiness Recall was positively correlated with ΔHF-HRV (p=0.050), whereas an incongruent mood state (“frustrated”) was associated with smaller ΔHF-HRV (p=0.070). Associations between frontal EEG activation and HRV responses were mostly non-significant, except for increased right frontal activation during Happiness Recall which was associated with a decrease in LF/HF ratio (p=0.009). It is concluded that positive and negative mood induction result in differential HRV responses, which is related to both task valence and the intensity of task-induced emotions.