bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Individual Differences in Ability to Control Heart Rate: Personality, Strategy, Physiological, and Other Variables
Authors: Levenson Robert W. , Ditto W. Blaine
Published: February 2007

Three experiments (total N = 102) are reported which examined the relationship between individual differences in ability to control heart rate (HR) with feedback and differences in self‐reported cognitive strategies, personality variables (locus of control, state and trait anxiety), physiological variables (respiration, somatic activity, basal HR and HR variability, and initial ability to control HR without feedback), and several auxiliary variables (e.g., weight, smoking, gender, exercise, and meditation). Two sets of analyses were performed. In the first set, differences in cognitive strategies and physiological concomitants between HR decrease and HR increase were studied revealing disparate patterns of cognitive strategies and physiological concomitants for the two directions of HR control. In the second set, the group of cognitive, strategy, personality, physiological, and auxiliary variables was searched to determine if any variables were related to individual differences in ability to decrease or increase HR. Cognitive strategies, personality, and auxiliary variables were generally unrelated to ability to control HR in either direction. Use of two cognitive strategies was found to be associated with lack of ability to increase HR, and non‐smokers were better able to decrease HR. Strong relationships were found for somatic activity and ability to control HR without feedback, both of which successfully predicted differences in ability to decrease and increase HR with feedback. Implications of these findings for past and future studies of voluntary control of HR are discussed.
Event‐Related Potentials (ERPs) to Interruptions of a Steady Rhythm
Authors: Ford Judith M. , Hillyard Steven A.
Published: February 2007

Auditory event‐related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from the scalps of persons who received repetitive sequences of sounds through earphones. Occasionally and unpredictahly. some ofthe sounds in the sequence occurred at a shorter or longer interstimulus internal (ISI) than usual. In Experiment 1, it was shown that premature noise bursts (ISI = 300 msec) elicited a large, biphasic ERP consisting of an “Ne” component at about 130 msec and a “PE” wave at about 200 msec. The NE‐PE complex was several times larger than the N1‐P2 waves elicited either by the regular bursts (ISI ‐ 600 msec) or by delayed noise bursts (ISI = 600 msec) in a sequence where the regular ISI was 300 msec. In Experiment 2, the peak amplitude of the NE wave elicited by infrequent early tones was considerably increased when attention was directed toward the tones. In Experiment 3, the amplitude ofthe NE‐PE, complex to infrequent early tones in a regular sequence (ISIs of 1200 msec) was either unchanged or actually increased when ISIs were shortened from 600 to 300 msec. It was proposed that the NE‐PE complex belongs to a class of ERPs that are specifically elicited by a mismatch event in a repetitive stimulus sequence.
Electroencephalograms in Children of Alcoholic Fathers
Authors: Gabrielli William F. , Mednick Sarnoff A. , Volavka Jan , Pollock Vicki E. , Schulsinger Fini , Itil Turan M.
Published: February 2007

The present study tested the hypothesis that 12‐yr‐old sons of alcoholic fathers will evidence an excess of fast EEG activity. Such sons have been shown to be at high risk for alcoholism. In this study, EEGs were recorded on a sample of 265 subjects who had been selected to maximize risk for deviant behavior (children of schizophrenics and children of psychopathic or character disordered parents) or selected as controls (children of normal parents). The sample included 27 children of alcoholic fathers and 258 children of non‐alcoholic parents. The hypothesis was confirmed, suggesting that the biological risk for alcoholism in sons of alcoholics may relate to biological factors predisposing to alcoholism.
Effect of Problem Solving on Right and Left Hemisphere 40 Hertz EEG Activity
Authors: Spydell John D. , Sheer Daniel E.
Published: February 2007

EEG activity within the alpha, beta II and 40 Hz bands was monitored during periods of problem solving and non‐problem solving. Concomitant 40 Hz EMG activity was also monitored to show a dissociation between it and 40 Hz EEG activity. Twenty‐four right‐handed subjects were used. Results indicate that during problem solving there is a reduction in activity within the alpha and beta II bands relative to non‐problem solving periods. Within the 40 Hz EEG band there was increased activity over the hemisphere assumed to be maximally engaged in the problem solving task. Activity within the 40 Hz EMG band showed bilateral increases during problem solving. It was also found that 40 Hz EMG activity made little, if any, contribution to 40 Hz EEG activity.
Physical Anhedonia and Future Psychopathology: An Electrocortical Continuity?
Authors: Simons Robert F.
Published: February 2007

During the past decade, a great deal of effort has been focused on the identification of subjects who may be at “high‐risk” for the development of psychopathology. Chapman, Chapman, and Raulin (1976) suggested that college students who report pervasive physical anhedonia may comprise a group of subjects vulnerable to the development of schizophrenia. The present study provides cortical evoked potential data consistent with this relationship.

Auditory event‐related potentials (ERPs) were collected from anhedonic subjects and normal controls under two conditions of auditory stimulation. In the first condition (nonsignal orienting), anhedonic and normal control subjects did not differ on any measure of the ERP. However, under signal conditions, reliable group differences emerged which were strikingly apparent in the late positive (P3) component. These group differences were maximal when the auditory signal predicted a high‐interest event. Similar observations of reduced P3 activity have been frequently reported in studies with schizophrenic patients. In conjunction with previous investigations of anhedonic subjects, the present data continue to support the hypothesis that these subjects may constitute a psychosis‐prone population.
The Relevance of Dissociations and the Irrelevance of Dissociationism: A Reply to Schwartz and Pritchard
Authors: Donchin Emanuel
Published: February 2007

This note examines Schwartz and Pritchard's critique of Donchin and Lindsley's study of the ERPs and retroactive masking. The critique is seen to be an example of the Dissociationist posture in which the failure to confirm a reported relationship between performance and ERPs is reported. The Dissociationist treats psychophysiology as an attempt to establish universally applicable correlations between performance measures and physiological measures. Such universality seems to be the necessary attribute of “physiological correlates” of psychological constructs. To demonstrate that ERPs are not correlates of perception, Schwartz and Pritchard try to show that the correlation reported by Donchin and Lindsley does not hold for U‐shaped masking functions.

Donchin and Lindsley did not, however, attempt to establish a universal correlation. Rather, they attempted to utilize the parallelism between ERPs and two‐flash interactions to test models proposed to account for retroactive masking and enhancement. That the relationship is not universal, in that there are masking phenomena wherein the correlation fails, is quite irrelevant to the purpose. The methodology used by Schwartz and Pritchard is also questioned here. Specifically, it is noted that they err in combining in one curve, data obtained with a single stimulus with data obtained with two stimuli. They are thus led by focusing on a product, the d', to the unwarranted assumption that the underlying processes are uniform.
Correction of EOG Artifacts in Event‐Related Potentials of the EEG: Aspects of Reliability and Validity
Authors: Verleger Rolf , Gasser Theo , Möcks Joachim
Published: February 2007

Correction of EOG artifacts using a regression approach is evaluated in terms of reliability and validity. Transmission rates are estimated for eight EEG channels in 67 subjects. The trimmed group means of these rates are shown to provide reliable measures. Eye artifact correction based on these group means is superior to the conventional rejection in terms of reducing correlation between EOG and EEG.
Attenuation of Baroreflexes During Operant Cardiac Conditioning
Authors: Engel Bernard T. , Joseph James A.
Published: February 2007

Three monkeys were trained to slow and to speed heart rate on an operant schedule. After the animals were performing highly reliably they received injections of nitroglycerin or phenylephrine to elicit baroreflexes during control periods and during slowing or speeding sessions. The findings were that each animal reliably attenuated its baroreflex sensitivity and thereby avoided shock. Thus, the data showed that under appropriate behavioral conditions homeostatic adjustments of the cardiovascular system are reduced.
Fetal Heart Rate Part I: Factor Analysis
Authors: Emory Eugene K. , Cruz Amelia , Walker Elaine F.
Published: February 2007

The quantification of intrapartum fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns in normal healthy neonates yielded 17 FHR variables: seven of these measures have not been reported previously. A factor analysis was performed on the 17 FHR variables in order to identify the pattern of interrelationships among them. This analysis resulted in a 6‐factor Varimax solution. The factors, in order of variance accounted for, were descriptively labeled deceleration, complexity, frequency, baserate, acceleration, and variability. The results support the hypothesis that the FHR response to labor is a multi dimensional phenomenon. Specifically, different parameters, i.e., amplitude, frequencies, etc., tended to be uncorrelated across subjects.
Fetal Heart Rate Part II: Behavioral Correlates
Authors: Emory Eugene K. , Walker Elaine F. , Cruz Amelia
Published: February 2007

Relatively recent technological developments have made possible continuous electronic monitoring of fetal heart rate (FHR) during labor. These developments have added a new dimension to the understanding of fetal responses to labor. The FHR response to labor is thought to be a multidimensional phenomenon. This study was designed to determine the type and degree of relationship between multiple FHR factors and dimensions of neonatal behavior scored with the Brazelton Newborn Behavior Assessment Scale. Due to the exploratory nature of the study, infants from complicated pregnancies and deliveries were excluded. The behavioral assessment was administered to 90 2–3 day old newborn infants. FHR was recorded during labor and the last hour of recorded FHR was analyzed for the study. Six factors were derived from measures of FHR (e.g. amplitude, frequency, decelerations, accelerations) and were used in a step‐wise multiple regression analysis. Significant multiple correlations were found between FHR factor composites and infant behavioral dimensions of attention‐orientation and arousal.
Correcting Baseline Drift Artifact in Slow Potential Recording
Authors: Simons Robert F. , Miller Gregory A. , Weerts Theodore C. , Lang Peter J.
Published: February 2007

A problem frequently encountered by investigators measuring scalp‐recorded DC potentials is baseline drift artifact. The sources of baseline drift are many and it is often very difficult to remove drift from the primary data. The problem is particularly acute when long recording epochs are under investigation. The present paper proposes a software solution. A FORTRAN IV computer program defines drift as a significant linear trend in prestimulus voltage on successive experimental trials. When drift is determined to be present, its slope is computed and statistically removed from the data in the poststimulus (response) period. A sample data set is included which demonstrates the method's marked improvement of signal‐to‐noise ratios, as represented by reduced error variance and improved statistical discrimination between the independent variables of an experiment.
Low‐Noise, Optically Isolated Electromyographic Preamplifier
Authors: Fridlund Alan J. , Price A. W. , Fowler Stephen C.
Published: February 2007

A low‐noise preamplifier for electromyographic applications is presented. The design features modifiable gain and bandpass characteristics, driven input shielding for high common‐mode rejection, and integral optical isolation for participant safety.
Sequential Expectancies and Decision Making in a Changing Environment: An Electrophysiological Approach
Authors: Johnson Ray , Donchin Emanuel
Published: February 2007

This experiment addressed two questions. First, we sought to determine how sequential expectancies, as indexed by the amplitude of P300, are formulated when subjects are presented with a series in which the event probabilities are continuously changing. Second, we wanted to determine the effect on P300 amplitude of seeking information prior to a decision when the decisions are required at random intervals. Eight subjects were presented with a Bernoulli series of high and low tones in which the event probabilities reversed at random intervals. Thus, while the event probabilities were either .33 or .67 over short segments of the series, they were .50 over each trial block. The subject's task was to count the number of low‐pitched tones. In two separate conditions (“Unknown” and “Known”) the subjects received different information about the series. In the Unknown condition, the subjects were not informed of the reversals in stimulus probability and were only told that the events were equally probable. In the Known condition, the subjects were informed of the probability reversals and, in addition to the counting task, were asked to detect the probability reversals.

The trials were divided into two categories: “transition” and “stable.” The transition trials were those that occurred between the actual probability reversal and the subject's reported detections. The stable trials were all those not included in the transition category. The data from the stable trials revealed that, in most cases, subjects generated their expectancies, as indexed by the amplitude of P300, in an identical manner during both conditions. Accurate knowledge of the stimulus probabilities did, however, influence the amplitude of P300 for events that were preceded by sequences of stimuli that occur only rarely at each level of probability. These data suggest that the mechanism responsible for generating sequential expectancies is largely automatic. Certain aspects of this mechanism are, however, modulated by the subject's knowledge of the parameters of the series. The data from the transition trials revealed that, in the Unknown condition, the subjects’ assignments of subjective probabilities, as indexed by the amplitude of P300, adapted rapidly to meet the new sequence‐generating rules following the probability transitions. In contrast, during the Known condition, the amplitude of the P300 and Slow Wave components steadily increased, as the decision point approached, to levels well above those in the Unknown condition. By the first trial following the decision, this enhancement in P300 and Slow Wave activity was no longer evident. These results are discussed in terms of a descriptive model of the subjects’ decision making behavior.
The Choice of Feedback Stimulus Can Determine the Success of Alpha Feedback Training
Authors: Tyson Paul D.
Published: February 2007

The experimenter's choice of auditory feedback stimulus may determine the success of alpha feedback training, The stimulus medium of the feedback message may interfere with or enhance the person's ability to increase alpha activity. Forty undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of two feedback stimulus groups or one of two stimulus control groups. The two auditory stimuli used for feedback produced dramatically different effects on the spectral power in high and low frequency alpha during training, whereas the stimulus controls showed little change from eyes open baselines. The experiences associated with the auditory stimuli before training and the alpha levels for the pre and post stimulus baselines were significant predictors of alpha changes during training. These results suggest that the feedback stimulus may influence how alpha information is received and utilized by affecting arousal, attentional capacity, and control strategies, or may directly influence the generators of the alpha rhythm.
Imagery and Pavlovian Heart Rate Decelerative Conditioning
Authors: Arabian Jane M.
Published: February 2007

The present experiment was designed to investigate the role of US‐imagery in Pavlovian heart rate(HR) decelerative conditioning with a head‐up to head‐down body tilt as the unconditional stimulus (US). From imagery theories of Pavlovian conditioning (e.g., King, 1973), it was hypothesized that the nature (content) of the imagery instructions would affect the conditional response (CR). Two groups of 20 subjects were employed: an Experimental (CS‐US) group and a Control (US‐CS) group. Half the subjects in each group were instructed to imagine the tilt‐US whenever the CS was presented (Relevant Imagery condition); the remaining subjects were instructed to imagine a car‐ride whenever the CS was presented (Irrelevant Imagery condition). The HR CR was assessed on a second‐by‐second basis during CS‐alone lest trials.

The results of the experiment supported the hypothesis: despite an identical CS‐US contingency, only the Experimental/Relevant Imagery group (as opposed to the Experimental/Irrelevant Imagery group) demonstrated a marked, monophasic decelerative CR to the CS relative to control groups. Differences in imagery ability, instructed‐imagery vividness ratings, and US‐awareness ratings could not account for the data. The significance and implications of these findings are discussed in relation to stimulus substitution (S‐R) and cognitive (S‐S) theories of conditioning.
Generalization of Conditioned Muscle Tension: Sharpening The Focus
Authors: Kotses Harry , Glaus Kathleen D.
Published: February 2007

Common approaches to the analysis of response generalization are reviewed and related to muscle tension conditioning. Both theoretical and empirical considerations favor the position that generalized EMG responding decreases as training proceeds.
Magnitude of Incentive Effects on Heart Rate
Authors: Tranel Dan T. , Fisher Anne E. , Fowles Don C.
Published: February 2007

Previous demonstrations of monetary incentive effects on heart rate during a continuous motor task were extended by employing different magnitudes of incentive: 0¢ (feedback only), 2¢, and 5¢ per response. The influence of the total amount of monetary incentive for the experiment was examined by providing monetary incentives either for only 2 trials or for all 5 trials. This procedure also provided an evaluation of the effect on heart rate during the later trials of discontinuing the incentive after 2 trials. The results showed a clear and graded effect of the amount of incentive per response, but no significant effects were obtained for the total amount of incentive, in spite of providing subjects with clear feedback as to how much money they could expect. Discontinuing incentives produced a significant decrease in heart rate, compared to subjects who continued to receive incentives.

No effect was found for the magnitude of incentive on the rate of responding on the motor task, rendering unlikely an explanation for the results in terms of cardiac‐somatic coupling. Also, any possible contribution to the heart rate results from frustrative nonreward feedback was eliminated by avoiding any suggestion of failure feedback on the task. It was concluded that the effects are attributable to the incentive value of the monetary reward and that they are large enough to be of considerable interest.
Changes of Achilles Tendon Reflex Amplitudes During a Fixed Foreperiod of Four Seconds
Authors: Brunia C. H. M. , Scheirs J. G. M. , Haagh S. A. V. M.
Published: February 2007

Preparation for a voluntary foot or finger response was studied by evoking Achilles tendon (T) reflexes. Reflexes were evoked simultaneously in both legs at 13 points between 100 and 4300 msec after the warning signal. With this paradigm, the time course of changes in reflex amplitudes related to preparatory processes could be measured simultaneously in the leg involved in the response and in the uninvolved leg. Immediately following the warning stimulus, the reflex amplitudes increased in both involved and non‐involved muscles, presumably reflecting a general non‐specific arousal. During the second half of the foreperiod, reflex amplitudes in non‐involved muscles remained elevated, perhaps reflecting a general activation of the motor system, but returned to baseline in the involved muscles. It is hypothesized that the consistently smaller reflex amplitudes in the involved leg during the entire ISI reflect a presynaptic inhibition of the la afferents to the motoneurons involved in the response. Following the response stimulus, reflex amplitudes increased in both involved and non‐involved muscles, although in the former at an earlier point and to a greater extent. It is suggested that this increase following the response stimulus is a manifestation of the transition from motor preparation to response execution.
Psychophysiological Changes Accompanying Different Types of Arousing and Relaxing Imagery
Authors: Carroll Douglas , Marzillier John S. , Merian Sally
Published: February 2007

In an investigation of hypotheses proposed by Lang (1977) on psychophysiological correlates of emotional imagery, 24 subjects were assigned to two equal‐sized groups. A stimulus group was presented, on 2 occasions, 6 image scripts, 3 of an arousing kind and 3 of a relaxing kind, in which stimulus propositions were stressed. A response group was treated identically except that the scripts stressed response rather than stimulus propositions; further, in the response group each pair of arousing and relaxing scripts separately emphasized either cardiovascular activity, respiration or sudomotor activity, in order to assess the degree of specificity in response‐proposition relationships. Psychophysiological measures of heart rate, respiration and skin resistance, and self‐report measures of imagery vividness, general arousal, and compliance with imagery instructions were taken after each imagery trial.

Analysis of the psychophysiological measures indicated that, in line with Lang's predictions, the response group showed significantly greater changes in heart rate and respiration to the arousing scenes than the stimulus group. No significant differences, however, were found for skin resistance. Moreover, there were no differences between the groups on any measures when the relaxing scenes were imagined. The groups did not differ reliably on any of the self‐report measures. Contrary to Lang's theory, however, little specificity in response‐proposition relationships was found. Rather, the present data suggest that certain psychophysiological propositions, in particular cardiovascular propositions, are generally more effective in eliciting fairly widespread psychophysiological changes. Further, a close coupling between heart rate and respiration rate was observed in this experiment.
Myoelectric and Force Feedback in the Facilitation of Isometric Strength Training: A Controlled Comparison
Authors: Cox Richard J. , Matyas Thomas A.
Published: February 2007

Three groups of 10 normal subjects were trained with 13 maximal isometric contractions on each of 8 days. During 8 of the 13 trials, subject groups received either myoelectric feedback (MFB), or force feedback (FFB), or no feedback. Over the 8 training days all groups increased EMG activity, but no significant group differences in rate of acquisition were obtained. All groups made gains in force over the 8 days. Force feedback produced better acquisition than either MFB or control conditions. However, both MFB and FFB produced comparable and significant differences between feedback and no‐feedback trials within a session, highlighting the importance of control group designs in the assessment of biofeedback effects. Dissociation between surface EMG and force was shown not only in the training effects, but also in the difference between feedback and no‐feedback performance within a session. An analysis of covariance revealed that during feedback trials MFB produced some EMG facilitation which could not be attributed to increased force production. This effect may have been due to selective reinforcement by MFB of co‐contraction in the extraneous musculature, or of changes in motor unit firing patterns. These phenomena may also account for the relative failure of MFB to facilitate force acquisition. A one‐month follow‐up showed significant retention following similar losses of force in all groups.
The Effects of Age and Prestimulus Duration upon Reflex Inhibition
Authors: Harbin Thomas J. , Keith Berg W.
Published: February 2007

Reflex inhibition was investigated in young and elderly subjects as a function of prestimulus duration. In Experiment 1, tone prestimuli of 20 and 200 msec duration were presented at ISIs of 60, 120, 240, and 420 msec before the reflex‐eliciting, periorbital airpuff. Both age groups evidenced more eyeblink inhibition with the longer prestimulus. The heart rate response was primarily decelerative in both age groups. In young subjects, the initial deceleration was augmented by the prestimulus, particularly for the 200‐msec prestimulus, whereas the elderly heart rate response was unaffected. In Experiment 2, a gap in a continuous tone served as the prestimulus. In both young and elderly subjects, eyeblink inhibition increased as gap duration increased from 10 to 80 msec. The longest gap (120 msec) produced the most inhibition in the elderly, while inhibition decreased somewhat in young subjects between the 80 and 120 msec gaps. Heart rate was not affected by the gap prestimuli in either group. It was proposed that reflex inhibition is, in part, a function of the onset and offset transients of the prestimulus. As prestimulus duration is increased and, consequently, the two transients become more separated in time, their effects upon the reflex may become progressively more independent. The discrepancy between the PS effects upon eyeblink and HR in the elderly is probably due to a decline in HR response plasticity rather than central nervous system processes involved in reflex inhibition.
Effects of Stimulus Intensity on Cardiovascular Activity
Authors: Turpin Graham , Siddle David A. T.
Published: February 2007

A between‐groups design (N = 75) was employed to investigate the effects of stimulus intensity and repetition on cardiovascular activity. It was predicted that as intensity increased, the pattern of physiological activity would change, indicating a transition from the orienting to the defense reflex. Cardiovascular activity was represented by measures of heart rate, digital pulse amplitude, and cephalic blood content. Subjects received 12 presentations of a 1000 Hz tone of 45, 60, 75, 90, or 105 dB. Stimulus risetime was 30 msec and the duration 2 sec. Analyses of variance revealed reliable effects of intensity and repetition on all cardiovascular variables. However, neither these results nor additional multivariate analyses supported the differentiation of orienting and defense reflexes as suggested by Sokolov (1963) or Graham (1979). The importance of the startle reflex in the interpretation of these findings was discussed.
P300 Latency Correlates with Digit Span
Authors: Polich John , Howard Lawrence , Starr Arnold
Published: February 2007

P300 latency from a simple auditory discrimination counting task was obtained along with a digit span memory task for a large group of neurologically normal subjects. Moderate significant negative correlations between the peak latency of the P3a and P3b subcomponents and total memory score were found, although no relationship was observed for other waveform component latencies and memory score. The data suggest that the P300 component of the event‐related brain potential may index individual variations in memory ability.
Biological Rhythms in Arousal Indices: A Potential Confounding Effect in EEG Biofeedback
Authors: Gertz John , Lavie Peretz
Published: February 2007

Several investigators have observed ultradian rhythmicities in physiological indices of arousal. Although EEG biofeedback has been widely explored as a means of auto‐regulating cortical arousal, alpha or theta enhancement has not yet been convincingly demonstrated in comparison to continuous baseline controls for the possible effect of endogenous cyclical arousal trends. Diurnal EEG and subjectively appraised arousal measures were recorded from 11 subjects on a 5‐min recording, 5‐min recovery schedule, continuously over 7 1/2 hrs. Subjects returned to the laboratory for an equal amount of recording during which they attempted to either raise or lower the frequency of their EEG with the aid of biofeedback. Significant ultradian rhythmicity centered at about 200 min/cycle was observed in EEG measures and in subjectively appraised arousal. Although eyes‐open frequency‐raising and frequency‐lowering biofeedback training was efficacious in comparison to long‐day baselines, eyes‐closed frequency‐lowering training was not, lending support to other studies which have failed to achieve overall eyes‐closed alpha or theta enhancement even with many hours of training. Because the observed ultradian and circadian EEG rhythmicities could be spuriously interpreted as learning curves under a biofeedback paradigm, it is argued that future designs should incorporate continuous baseline controls.
T‐Wave Amplitude as an Index of Cardiac Sympathetic Activity: A Misleading Concept
Authors: Schwartz Peter J. , Weiss Theodore
Published: February 2007

T‐wave amplitude (TWA) appears unlikely to be a reliable index of myocardial sympathetic activity, at variance with what has previously been proposed. (1) TWA is not influenced consistently by stimulation or blockade of the cardiac sympathetic nerves. (2) Electrocardiographic lead selection can influence the direction and magnitude of change in TWA. (3) Sympathetic influences on the heart are exerted via alpha or beta receptors. While other non‐invasive indices (pre‐ejection period, pulse transit time) differentiate these effects, there is no evidence that TWA does. (4) Data on TWA derived from studies of patient populations may not be relevant to normal subjects. (5) Non‐neural factors can have important effects on TWA. We discourage further serious consideration of TWA as an index of myocardial sympathetic activity.
Cognitive Activity, Sleep Disturbance, and Stage Specific Differences Between Recorded and Reported Sleep
Authors: Coates Thomas J. , Killen Joel D. , Silverman Sheila , George June , Marchini Evelyn , Hamilton Stephanie , Thoresenz Carl E.
Published: February 2007

Sleepers were studied in their homes to obtain measures of relationships between (a) discrepancies between reported and recorded sleep, (b) degree of sleep difficulty, and (e) reported cognitive activity. Twelve good sleepers and 12 insomniacs were questioned immediately after lights out, at the occurrence of the first sleep spindle or K‐complex, 10 min after the second sleep onset, 5 min after the onset of the first REM period, 10 min after the onset of the first stage 2, during subsequent periods of REM and stage 2 sleep, and at spontaneous arousals. Subjects responded to questions regarding mental content (thought vs picture, awake vs asleep, audience vs actor), estimated total time, and estimated total sleep time since the previous arousal. Insomniacs overestimated sleep difficulty only at 10 min after the second spindle and at spontaneous arousals. Reports of “picture” and “actor” were associated with sleeping difficulty. Persons who reported being “awake,”“actor,” and “picture” showed significantly greater discrepancies between reported and recorded sleep than persons who reported “sleep,”“audience,” or “thought”. The results are discussed in terms of implications for increased understanding of the phenomenon of insomnia.
Influence of Total Sleep Deprivation on Event‐Related Potentials in Man
Authors: Gauthier P. , Gottesmann C.
Published: February 2007

The contingent negative variation (CNV) can be spontaneously followed in psychiatric patients by a postimperative negative variation (PINV), and also in normal subjects who have undergone sufficiently intense interference during the CNV paradigm. Our hypothesis was that sleep deprivation could facilitate the induction of a spontaneous PINV which would reflect a transient psychophysiological perturbation. The present experiment investigates the influence of total sleep deprivation on event‐related potentials (PINV, CNV, auditory evoked potential), behavioral performance (reaction time), and autonomic response (heart rate).

Nineteen subjects participated in the experiment. The subjects were studied before and after 2 consecutive nights of total sleep deprivation. The event‐related potentials resulted from the summation of 16 trials. The warning stimulus (tone burst) was followed 1.5 sec later by an imperative stimulus (continuous tone) which was stopped by the subject. After the deprivation, 6 subjects underwent the CNV paradigm with interference.

None of the subjects showed a PINV after sleep deprivation either spontaneously or with an interference which had induced it under non‐deprived conditions. The CNV and auditory evoked potential (AEP) amplitudes were reduced after the deprivation whereas AEP latencies increased. The unobtainable PINV after sleep deprivation and the low CNV amplitude could suggest a common neurophysiological origin for these two slow potentials.
Event‐Related Potential Correlates of Two Stages of Information Processing in Physical and Semantic Discrimination Tasks
Authors: Ritter Walter , Simson Richard , Vaughan Herbert G.
Published: February 2007

Event‐related potentials were studied while subjects performed physical and semantic discrimination tasks. Two negative components, NA and N2, were observed in both kinds of discriminations. The earlier component, NA, had a constant onset latency, but its peak latency varied as a function of stimulus complexity. N2 latency varied in relation to changes in the peak of NA. RT and P3 followed N2 by similar amounts of time across tasks. The NA and N2 components were interpreted as reflecting partially overlapping sequential stages of processing associated with pattern recognition and stimulus classification, respectively.
Ambulatory Electrodermal Monitoring: Effects of Ambient Temperature, General Activity, Electrolyte Media, and Length of Recording
Authors: Turpin Graham , Shine Phil , Lader Malcolm
Published: February 2007

The feasibility of long‐term monitoring of electrodermal activity (EDA) from freely moving subjects was assessed by examining several confounding variables including epidermal hydration, ambient temperature, and physical activity.

EDA was monitored from 12 subjects during a normal working day. A portable 4 channel cassette recorder (Medilog) was employed to record skin conductance, ambient temperature, and arm movements.

The effects of epidermal hydration were assessed using different 0.05 KCl electrolyte media. EDA was quantified throughout the day during several 5‐min rest periods and subsequent simple reaction time tasks. In order to distinguish between the influence of time of day and electrode/electrolyte aging, an extra pair of fresh electrodes was applied at each measurement period.

Significant effects of temperature, electrolyte medium, and time of measurement on several indices of EDA were obtained. The implications of these data for long‐term ambulatory EDA monitoring were discussed.
Comparison of the Brener‐Jones and Whitehead Procedures for Assessing Cardiac Awareness
Authors: Jones Gary E. , O'Leary Roland T. , Pipkin Barry L.
Published: February 2007

The similarities between the discrimination scores derived from the Brener‐Jones and Whitehead procedures for assessing cardiac awareness were examined. Subjects were provided with no performance feedback at any time, and were simply instructed to attend to afferent sensations of heartbeats. Twenty‐four male and female subjects were run under both procedures in a single session. Half of each gender were run in the order Brener‐Jones/Whitehead and half in the order Whitehead/Brener‐Jones. Subjects were given 50 trials of each procedure separated by a short rest interval. Three indices of discrimination were calculated for each procedure: number of correct calls, P(I), and 2 arcsin √P(A). Correlations between Brener‐Jones and Whitehead derived scores were weak and negative. Measures of physiological activity showed little indication of differential physiological arousal during or over trials.
Cardiovascular Feedback During Dynamic Exercise
Authors: Lo Chau R. , Johnston Derek W.
Published: February 2007

The effects of verbal instructions, interbeat interval feedback, and feedback of the product of interbeat interval and pulse transit time in enabling subjects to decrease cardiovascular activity during exercise were studied in 36 healthy volunteers cycling a modified bicycle ergometer. During the 4 training sessions subjects given product feedback showed smaller decreases in interbeat interval and pulse transit time during exercise than did subjects receiving only verbal instructions. Subjects receiving interbeat interval feedback fell between the other two conditions. On the fifth session, during which feedback was not provided, no differences were found among the three conditions. The use of feedback of the product of interbeat interval and pulse transit time to control the sympathetic input to the heart and in the treatment of angina pectoris is discussed.
The Effects of a Restricted Sleep Regime on the Composition of Sleep and on Performance
Authors: Tilley Andrew J. , Wilkinson Robert T.
Published: February 2007

This study examined the effects of restricting sleep to the first or second half of the night on the composition of sleep and on performance. Eight young women who regularly slept for 8–8.5 hrs a night had their sleep restricted to the first or second half of the night for two consecutive nights. Performance of a 20‐min unprepared simple reaction time task was measured at fixed times of day for the two restricted sleep conditions and for a full night sleep control condition. Restricting sleep to the second half of the night produced higher amounts of REM sleep and Stage 4 sleep and lower amounts of Stage 2 sleep compared to restricting sleep to the first half of the night. Both restricted sleep conditions impaired performance relative to the full night sleep control, and performance was worse after two nights of restricted sleep than after one night of restricted sleep. The results show that the effects of a restricted sleep regime on the composition of sleep are partly a function of the time of night to which sleep is restricted. It is suggested that the performance deficits are due to loss of sleep per se rather than due to any change in the composition of sleep.
Right Cerebral Activation in REM Sleep: Evidence from a Unilateral Tactile Recognition Test
Authors: Bertini Mario , Violani Cristiano , Zoccolotti Pierluigi , Antonelli Antonella , Di Stefano Lola
Published: February 2007

Several authors have advanced the hypothesis that the right cerebral hemisphere predominates during REM sleep. This hypothesis was tested by giving a newly‐devised unilateral tactile recognition test to 16 right‐handed male subjects during waking and upon awakenings from REM and NREM sleep.

A two‐way analysis of variance revealed both a main effect for hand (the left hand being superior to the right) and a condition (waking‐REM‐NREM) X hand interaction. Consistent with the hypothesis of right‐hemisphere activation during REM, left‐hand superiority upon awakenings from REM was greater than that during waking; in the NREM condition, no between‐hand difference was observed. The latter result, as well as previous findings by Gordon, Frooman, and Lavie (1982), seems to point to the presence of left‐hemisphere activation during NREM and, more generally, to the link between hemispheric functional alternation and the REM‐NREM cycle.
Short‐Term Habituation and Dishabituation of the Mismatch Negativity of the ERP
Authors: Sams Mikko , Alho Kimmo , Näätänen Risto
Published: February 2007

Standard tones of 1000 Hz and deviant tones of 1250 Hz were presented in random order, 1 stimulus/second. The probabilities of the standards and deviants were 90% and 10%, respectively. In one condition the subject counted the deviant stimuli and in the other condition he/she read a comic book. ERPs were separately averaged to 1) the standard preceding the deviant, 2) the “first deviant” preceded by at least 4 standards, 3) the “second deviant” (an occasional deviant immediately following the “first deviant”), 4) the first and 5) the second standard following the “first deviant,” 6) the first and 7) the second standard following the “second deviant.” It was found that the mismatch negativity evoked in both conditions by the first deviant was considerably larger than to the second deviant. Also the first standard following the first deviant evoked the mismatch negativity. The results are discussed in terms of parallel neuronal models of the stimuli as reflected by the mismatch negativity.
Lucid, Prelucid, and Nonlucid Dreams Related to the Amount of EEG Alpha Activity during REM Sleep
Authors: Tyson Paul D. , Ogilvie Robert D. , Hunt Harry T.
Published: February 2007

Alpha activity during REM sleep without signs of awakening can discriminate between the blind classification of prelucid, lucid, and nonlucid dreams. Ten good dream recallers were aroused after relatively high or low amplitude REM alpha. The spectral and temporal characteristics of EEG alpha within each REM period were associated with lucidity and other content dimensions. Each type of dream had a reasonably distinct pattern of REM alpha. High amplitude alpha was found to be associated with prelucid dreams and bizarre content, which is consistent with theories of waking alpha activity and the hypothesis that lucidity sometimes emerges from prelucid experiences. The data are also consistent with the idea that lucidity is a viable dream content dimension, and interpreted in terms of systems theory imply that training which emphasizes dream content control may constrain the potential information integration function of lucid dreams.
The Relationship between Arterial Blood Pressure and Pulse Transit Time During Dynamic and Static Exercise
Authors: Marie G.V. , Lo C.R. , Van Jones J. , Johnston D.W.
Published: February 2007

The relationships between arterial systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), interbeat interval (IBI), and various pulse transit times were investigated in 5 young, healthy males during physical exercise and at rest. Transit times monitored were radial, brachial and dorsalis pedis RPIs (ECG R‐wave to pulse intervals), and brachial‐radial and radial‐dorsalis pedis PPIs (pulse to pulse intervals). Experimental sessions consisted of three periods: two involving mild dynamic exercise plus rests, and one involving static exercise (handgrips) plus rests. Correlation and regression analyses within period and subject were performed on individual beat data. Radial RPI was highly correlated with SBP (during dynamic periods, range −.57 to −.89, median r−.81; during static periods, range −.80 to −.88, median r=−.87) and moderately correlated with DBP (during dynamic periods, range −.10 to −.63, median r−.52; during static periods, range −.17 to −.77, median r−.66). Median correlations of radial RPI with SBP and DBP during exercise and rest separately were −.75 and −.40 (dynamic), −.79 and −.57 (static), and −.74 and −.26 (rest). The IBI X radial RPI product was very highly correlated with the rate‐pressure product (heart rate X SBP), an index of myocardial oxygen consumption (median r=−.96). The only PPI which reliably indexed SBP or DBP change was brachial‐radial PPI during the static exercise period (median r=−.86 and −.83).
A Comparison Between Commercially Available Electrode Gels and Purpose‐Made Gel, in the Measurement of Electrodermal Activity
Authors: Grey Susan J. , Smith Brian L.
Published: February 2007

Despite general agreement that a standardised procedure is desirable for the measurement of electrodermal activity, several types of electrode gel are in common use. In this study, 20 volunteers listened to a series of tones while skin conductance was measured at four sites using four different gels, namely K‐Y Jelly, Beckman, Neptic, and purpose‐made 0.05M NaCl in methyl cellulose. Prestimulus conductance level, response amplitude, change in conductance level, response latency, and response probability were measured. Analysis of variance showed a significant between‐gels effect for prestimulus conductance levels, with Beckman and Neptic giving higher levels than K‐Y Jelly or 0.05M, as predicted. There were no between‐gels effects for the other variables. There were no effects due to placements or channels. The results are discussed in relation to the theoretical requirements of electrode gels used for measuring electrodermal activity.
The Preparedness Theory of Phobias: The Effects of Initial Fear Level on Safety‐Signal Conditioning to Fear‐Relevant Stimuli
Authors: McNally Richard J. , Reiss Steven
Published: February 2007

The preparedness theory of phobias implies that fear‐relevant stimuli are biologically contrapre‐pared for safety‐signal conditioning. Thus it should be very difficult to establish a pictorial snake as a safety‐signal predicting the absence of shock in a Pavlovian conditioned inhibition paradigm. Since this contrapreparedness is postulated as species‐wide, the snake stimulus should be an ineffective safety‐signal even in those subjects who do not fear snakes. In contrast, the prior fear hypothesis suggests that this difficulty should occur only in those subjects who already fear snakes. To test these hypotheses, subjects reporting either high or low snake fear were exposed to electrodermal conditioning trials designed to establish a fear‐relevant CS (a pictorial snake) and a fear‐irrelevant CS (a pictorial flower) as safety‐signals by nonreinforcing each in compound with a fear‐eliciting CS. The results provided marginal support for the prior fear hypothesis.
Innocence, Information, and the Guilty Knowledge Test in the Detection of Deception
Authors: Bradley and M.T. , Warfield J.F.
Published: February 2007

The purpose of this detection of deception experiment was to study the assumption of the Guilty Knowledge Test that subjects with guilty knowledge will be classed as guilty by the test regardless of their actual guilt or innocence. Prior to a polygraph examination, three groups of innocent subjects were given the same crime‐relevant information as members of a group guilty of a mock crime. These innocent subjects either witnessed the crime, were told the crime details, or carried out innocent activities involving crime‐relevant information. An additional group of innocent subjects had no crime‐relevant information. Analysis of the Guilty Knowledge Test results showed that the detection scores of guilty subjects were higher than those in any of the innocent groups. In fact, with the exception of the innocent activities group, the innocent informed subjects did not differ from those in the uninformed group. The major conclusion is that subjects may have crime‐relevant information and not be classed, based on the detection scores, as guilty.