Affiliation:
1. School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health Peking University Beijing China
2. Beijing Xiaomi Technology Co., Ltd Beijing China
3. School of Intelligence Science and Technology and State Key Laboratory of General Artificial Intelligence Peking University Beijing China
4. Faculty of Psychology Tianjin Normal University Tianjin China
Abstract
AbstractRespiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of the parasympathetic nervous system activity, has been considered indicative of stress response and emotion regulation. However, the relationship between RSA and anxiety remains inconclusive, partly because previous research has primarily focused on static RSA levels. In this nonclinical sample (N = 75, Mage = 20.89 ± 1.72 SD, 48 males), we used a damped oscillator model to characterize RSA dynamics across 30‐s epochs while participants completed the Trier social stress test. Results showed that RSA constantly oscillated during the three periods of TSST (namely Rest, Stress, and Recovery). Importantly, slower RSA oscillation in the Stress period was related to elevated state anxiety, whereas in the Recovery period, it was related to higher trait anxiety. These findings demonstrated the dynamic nature of RSA during the whole course of stress response. Slower RSA oscillation may indicate inflexible and tardy physiological regulation which may give rise to anxiety issues.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China