The Impact of a Continuous Performance Task on the Stress Response

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the impact of taking a continuous performance attention test on the physiological stress response in college students. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does taking an attention test cause participants to have increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and sweat? Does taking an attention test cause participants to have a decrease in heart rate variability? Are there relationships between participants' levels of anxiety, perceived stress, and mindfulness to their physiological changes? Participants will Answer questionnaires about anxiety, stress, and mindfulness Have baseline measurements taken for blood pressure, sweat, and heart rate variability Take the PEBL Continuous Performance Task (a 14 minute attention test) while having the measurements listed above taken again

Detailed Description
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The PEBL Continuous Performance Task is an example of a mental stressor which requires vigilance and effort. We hypothesize that a sympathetic nervous system response will be evident in comparing physiological parameters during the attention task versus the preceding resting baseline period. Exploratory analyses will assess relationships between psychological measures of anxiety, stress, and mindfulness with this physiological response and the number of errors on the attention test.

Official Title
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The Impact of a Continuous Performance Task on the Stress Response

Conditions
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Stress

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: PEBL Continuous Performance Task


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: English language proficiency First year, first semester student enrolled in Students Together Empowering Peers course at the University of Redlands Exclusion Criteria: severe mental health issues currently taking anti-anxiety medication

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Interventional Model Description: All participants will be measured at baseline and then during an attention task.
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: PEBL Continuous Performance Task<br>Participants will take the PEBL Continuous Performance Task, a 14 minute attention test requiring participants to press the space bar when certain letters are shown on the screen. | Behavioral: PEBL Continuous Performance Task<br>* A PEBL version of the Conners Continuous Performance Task<br>* Other names: Conners Continuous Performance Task;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Blood pressure | Systolic and diastolic | Measured once after an 8 minute resting baseline, then 2 minutes into the attention task, and 10 minutes into the attention task. Data collection was then complete. | 
| Skin conductance level | levels of sweat due to sympathetic nervous system activation | Measured continuously during an 8 minute resting baseline, then continuously for the 14 minute attention task. Data collection was then complete. | 
| Heart rate variability | Normalized high frequency HRV | Measured continuously during an 8 minute resting baseline, then continuously for the 14 minute attention task. Data collection was then complete. | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) | Spielberger, C.D., R.L. Gorsuch, and R.E. Lushene, 1970. Scores on each of the state and trait sections range from 20 (low anxiety) to 80 (high anxiety) | Questionnaire completed on day of enrollment (<30 minutes) | 
| Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) | Cohen, S., T. Kamarck, and R. Mermelstein. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 1983. Scores range from 0 (low perceived stress) to 40 (high perceived stress) | Questionnaire completed on day of enrollment (<30 minutes) | 
| Mindful Awareness and Attention Scale (MAAS) | Brown, K.W. and R.M. Ryan. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2003. Scores range from 1 (least mindful) to 6 (most mindful) | Questionnaire completed on day of enrollment (<30 minutes) | 
| PEBL Continuous Performance Task Foil Accuracy Rate | For trials where participants were presented with a foil, the percent in which the participant did not commit a commission error (participant correctly did not press spacebar). Ranges from 0 - 100% accuracy. | 14 minute attention task on the day of the experiment | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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stress, anxiety, blood pressure, skin conductance level, heart rate variability, attention