Recognizing emotions induced by affective sounds through heart rate variability

This paper reports on how emotional states elicited by affective sounds can be effectively recognized by means of estimates of Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) dynamics. Specifically, emotional states are modeled as a combination of arousal and valence dimensions according to the well-known circumplex model of affect, whereas the ANS dynamics is estimated through standard and nonlinear analysis of Heart rate variability (HRV) exclusively, which is derived from the electrocardiogram (ECG). In addition, Lagged Poincaré Plots of the HRV series were also taken into account. The affective sounds were gathered from the International Affective Digitized Sound System and grouped into four different levels of arousal (intensity) and two levels of valence (unpleasant and pleasant). A group of 27 healthy volunteers were administered with these standardized stimuli while ECG signals were continuously recorded. Then, those HRV features showing significant changes (p < 0.05 from statistical tests) between the arousal and valence dimensions were used as input of an automatic classification system for the recognition of the four classes of arousal and two classes of valence. Experimental results demonstrated that a quadratic discriminant classifier, tested through Leave-One-Subject-Out procedure, was able to achieve a recognition accuracy of 84.72 percent on the valence dimension, and 84.26 percent on the arousal dimension

Understanding the Physiological effect of Audio stimulus on Females using HRV and Cardiac Electrophysiology Analysis

The current study deciphers the effect of an audio stimulus (Indian classical music) on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the cardiac electrophysiology of female volunteers. Electrocardiogram (ECG) readings were obtained from ten volunteers for audio stimulus before and after exposing them to the respective stimuli. Various R-R interval (RRI) based analyses (like Recurrence and HRV analysis) were performed to understand the changes in the ANS and the cardiac electrophysiology. HRV analysis indicated an overall parasympathetic dominance after exposure to the audio stimulus

Complexity and Entropy in Physiological Signals (CEPS): Resonance Breathing Rate Assessed Using Measures of Fractal Dimension, Heart Rate Asymmetry and Permutation Entropy

Background: As technology becomes more sophisticated, more accessible methods of interpretating Big Data become essential. We have continued to develop Complexity and Entropy in Physiological Signals (CEPS) as an open access MATLAB® GUI (graphical user interface) providing multiple methods for the modification and analysis of physiological data. Methods: To demonstrate the functionality of the software, data were collected from 44 healthy adults for a study investigating the effects on vagal tone of breathing paced at five different rates, as well as self-paced and un-paced. Five-minute 15-s recordings were used. Results were also compared with those from shorter segments of the data. Electrocardiogram (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA) and Respiration (RSP) data were recorded. Particular attention was paid to COVID risk mitigation, and to parameter tuning for the CEPS measures. For comparison, data were processed using Kubios HRV, RR-APET and DynamicalSystems.jl software. We also compared findings for ECG RR interval (RRi) data resampled at 4 Hz (4R) or 10 Hz (10R), and non-resampled (noR). In total, we used around 190–220 measures from CEPS at various scales, depending on the analysis undertaken, with our investigation focused on three families of measures: 22 fractal dimension (FD) measures, 40 heart rate asymmetries or measures derived from Poincaré plots (HRA), and 8 measures based on permutation entropy (PE). Results: FDs for the RRi data differentiated strongly between breathing rates, whether data were resampled or not, increasing between 5 and 7 breaths per minute (BrPM). Largest effect sizes for RRi (4R and noR) differentiation between breathing rates were found for the PE-based measures. Measures that both differentiated well between breathing rates and were consistent across different RRi data lengths (1–5 min) included five PE-based (noR) and three FDs (4R). Of the top 12 measures with short-data values consistently within ± 5% of their values for the 5-min data, five were FDs, one was PE-based, and none were HRAs. Effect sizes were usually greater for CEPS measures than for those implemented in DynamicalSystems.jl. Conclusion: The updated CEPS software enables visualisation and analysis of multichannel physiological data using a variety of established and recently introduced complexity entropy measures. Although equal resampling is theoretically important for FD estimation, it appears that FD measures may also be usefully applied to non-resampled data

O efeito da prática de mindfulness na realização de tarefa motora indutora de stress

Segundo a pesquisa de opinião pan-europeia sobre segurança e saúde no trabalho realizada pela Agência Europeia para a Segurança e Saúde no Trabalho (EU-OSHA) em 2013, verificou-se que Portugal é dos países que mais relata casos de stress relacionados com trabalho. Mindfulness é definido, como um estado de consciência que surge quando é prestada intencionalmente, atenção às experiências no momento presente, de uma forma não crítica e de aceitação. Esta prática tem sido muito estudada nos últimos anos e tem-se verificado relação com diminuição de stress nos indivíduos que a praticam. O objetivo deste trabalho consistiu em quantificar os efeitos da prática de mindfulness durante um teste indutor de stress, recorrendo a três sinais eletrofisiológicos: atividade eletrodérmica, eletrocardiograma e eletroencefalograma. Para tal optou-se por um estudo longitudinal, onde foram recolhidos os sinais eletrofisiológicos de 25 indivíduos no início, meio, fim e dois meses após a conclusão do curso de meditação mindfulness, com duração de 8 semanas, durante um teste motor indutor de stress de período máximo de cinco minutos. Os resultados obtidos podem indicar diminuição do stress percepcionado no fim do curso de mindfulness para vários índices contudo alguns índices revelaram diminuição de atividade parassimpática ao longo do curso de minsdulness que poderá estar relacionado com aumento da perceção de stress. As principais conclusões que se retiram deste trabalho de dissertação são, que os estudos nesta área ainda se encontram pouco uniformizados, sendo a sua grande maioria efetuados em indivíduos experientes na prática de meditação mindfulness durante periodos de meditação, e poucos estudos incidido sobre testes de stress, e em meditadores pouco experientes, podendo estas observações explicar os resultados obtidos

Exploring perspectives of people with type-1 diabetes on goalsetting strategies within self-management education and care

Background. Collaborative goal-setting strategies are widely recommended for diabetes self-management support within healthcare systems. Creating self-management plans that fit with peoples’ own goals and priorities has been linked with better diabetic control. Consequently, goal-setting has become a core component of many diabetes selfmanagement programmes such as the ‘Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) programme’. Within DAFNE, people with Type-1 Diabetes (T1D) develop their own goals along with action-plans to stimulate goal-achievement. While widely implemented, limited research has explored how goal-setting strategies are experienced by people with diabetes.Therefore, this study aims to explore the perspectives of people with T1D on theimplementation and value of goal-setting strategies within DAFNE and follow-up diabetes care. Furthermore, views on barriers and facilitators to goal-attainment are explored.Methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 people with T1D who attended a DAFNE-programme. Following a longitudinal qualitative research design, interviews took place 1 week, and 6-8 months after completion of DAFNE. A recurrent cross-sectional approach is applied in which themes will be identified at each time-point using thematic analyses.Expected results. Preliminary identified themes surround the difference in value that participants place on goal-setting strategies, and the lack of support for goal-achievement within diabetes care.Current stage. Data collection complete; data-analysis ongoing.Discussion. Goal-setting strategies are increasingly included in guidelines for diabetes support and have become essential parts of many primary care improvement schemes. Therefore, exploring the perspectives of people with T1D on the value and implementation of goal-setting strategies is vital for their optimal application