Correlation of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity during rest and acute stress tasks

Abstract

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity is a core and central component of emotion. The myriad social and cognitive challenges faced by humans require flexible modulation of ANS activity for different contexts. In this study, simultaneous activity of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system was measured using respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre-ejection period (PEP), respectively. Samples combined four previous studies (N=325) in which RSA and PEP were collected continuously during a resting baseline and an acute stressor, the Trier Social Stress Task. The concurrent relation between RSA and PEP responses was modeled in order to determine the extent to which SNS and PNS activity is coordinated at rest, in response to a stressor, and during recovery, and whether this coordination was moderated by age, race, sex, or baseline RSA and PEP. Overall, RSA and PEP were reciprocally coupled within task periods, perhaps reflecting shared regulatory mechanisms in the brain, independent of reciprocal responses to environmental demands. However, recovery from a stressor was characterized by uncorrelated activity and coactivation on average. Individuals also vary in the extent to which their SNS and PNS are reciprocally coupled; women, younger adults, and individuals with higher baseline RSA showed more reciprocal coupling than men, older adults, and those with lower baseline RSA, respectively, perhaps reflecting a greater range of physiological responding in the former group.Coordination of SNS and PNS during stress tasks

Pupil Dilation Reflects Emotional Arousal Via Poetic Language

“…To mobilize the body mechanisms to meet conditions of stress, the pupillary dilation is driven by the activity of sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which needs to be coupled with the contrastive activity of conservation and restoration of the body by the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) as a parallel branch of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), enabling homeostatic control of the organism’s internal environment (Kardon, 2005). The coordinated activity of SNS and PNS can be observed with techniques in cardiovascular physiology such as pre-ejection period influenced by the SNS and respiratory sinus arrhythmia reflecting the PNS, in response to physical and mental tasks including speech (Weissman & Mendes, 2021). In line with this, the present study has demonstrated the possibility of pupillometry as another convenient measurement to delineate the ANS coordination in physiological responding to emotional contexts via language.…”

Body integrity identity disorder using augmented reality: a symptom reduction study

“… 27 In terms of clarifying the relation between PEP and RSA, recent preprinted research has suggested that SNS and PNS are reciprocally coupled with each other during rest and in response to an acute stressor. 28 …”

“…27 In terms of clarifying the relation between PEP and RSA, recent preprinted research has suggested that SNS and PNS are reciprocally coupled with each other during rest and in response to an acute stressor. 28 During data collection for patient 1, stimulation was applied incorrectly for the first two stimuli of the first B block in the AR on task by applying stimulation to D. This error was quickly identified and corrected during testing. Due to this, we decided that rather than excluding these data, we would instead reassign these data under the correct label.…”

Approach motivation and loneliness: Individual differences and parasympathetic activity

“…The autonomic nervous system (ANS) consists of two branches, the parasympathetic (PNS) and sympathetic nervous systems (SNS). Together, the PNS and SNS act to dually innervate organs throughout the body, facilitating adaptive motivated responses to potential threats and challenges in the environment (Berntson et al, 2006; Porges, 2011; Weissman & Mendes, 2021). The ANS is innervated by higher level cortical and subcortical systems that play an important role in motivated responding, including social engagement (Cacioppo et al, 2000; Kemp et al, 2017).…”