TY - JOUR
T1 - A sigh following sustained attention and mental stress
T2 - Effects on respiratory variability
AU - Vlemincx, Elke
AU - Van Diest, Ilse
AU - Van den Bergh, Omer
PY - 2012/8/20
Y1 - 2012/8/20
N2 - Normal breathing consists of considerable correlated variability (parameters of subsequent breaths are correlated) and some random variability. Emotional and attentive states alter normal breathing variability, which can be restored by a sigh. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of mental arithmetic and sustained attention on respiratory variability. In addition, the effect of a spontaneous sigh following both conditions was examined, compared to an instructed sigh and a control maneuver. Mental arithmetic and sustained attention were characterized by decreased correlated and total breathing variability, respectively. A spontaneous sigh restored correlated variability. An instructed sigh restored correlated variability following mental arithmetic, and increased total variability following sustained attention. These results suggest that a spontaneous sigh and an instructed sigh, when physiologically appropriate, restore respiratory variability influenced by stress or attention.
AB - Normal breathing consists of considerable correlated variability (parameters of subsequent breaths are correlated) and some random variability. Emotional and attentive states alter normal breathing variability, which can be restored by a sigh. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of mental arithmetic and sustained attention on respiratory variability. In addition, the effect of a spontaneous sigh following both conditions was examined, compared to an instructed sigh and a control maneuver. Mental arithmetic and sustained attention were characterized by decreased correlated and total breathing variability, respectively. A spontaneous sigh restored correlated variability. An instructed sigh restored correlated variability following mental arithmetic, and increased total variability following sustained attention. These results suggest that a spontaneous sigh and an instructed sigh, when physiologically appropriate, restore respiratory variability influenced by stress or attention.
KW - Mental stress
KW - Respiratory variability
KW - Sighing
KW - Sustained attention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84861877347&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84861877347&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.05.013
DO - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.05.013
M3 - Article
C2 - 22634279
AN - SCOPUS:84861877347
SN - 0031-9384
VL - 107
SP - 1
EP - 6
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
IS - 1
ER -