Perceptual Sensitivity Predicts Acute Stress Recovery

Acute stress responses occur in all aspects of our lives.The adaptive response to acute stress can quickly mobilize the body's resources to help us cope with environmental needs.However,the delay in the recovery of stress response after the disappearance of acute stressors may have serious consequences for the physical and mental health of the individual.Because of the large individual differences in stress response and recovery,predicting the recovery of individual stress response can help us to screen poor stress-recovery populations and prevent the occurrence of stress-related diseases early,and may provide potential talent selection indicators for high-stress related occupations.In this study,Event-Related Potential(ERP)techniques were used to measure the early brain electrical components MMN and eP3 a,which reflect individual sensitivity,as predictors.Individuals' acute stress response was induced using the Trier Social Stress Test(TSST)and changes in heart rate and cortisol concentration were measured as criteria for the reactivity of Sympathetic-Adrenal(SA)axis and Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal(HPA)axis.Age,education years,and stress reactivity were controlled to investigate the predictive effect of perceptual sensitivity on the recovery of stress response.The aim of this study was to explore more objective and reliable cognitive neurological indicators that predict the recovery of stress response,and to further understand the cognitive neural mechanisms and risk factors associated with stress response and recovery.In our first experiment,the passive auditory Oddball task was used to measure the sensitivity of the stimulus changes,and its predictive effect on the recovery of the individual's acute stress response was investigated.It was found that the MMM peak under non-stress conditions can positively predict the degree of heart rate recovery 1 minute after stress response(ie,the larger the amplitude of MMN peak,the smaller degree the recovery of heart rate 1 minute after stress response).No significant predictive effect was found on the degree of recovery or recovery speed at 20 or 30 minutes after the peak of cortisol response.In our second experiment,the novelty auditory Oddball task was used to measure the sensitivity of the novelty,and the predictive effect of the novelty sensitivity on the recovery of the individual's acute stress response was investigated.The results showed that the average amplitude of eP3 a under non-stress conditions can negatively predict the degree of recovery and recovery speed of cortisol 20 and 30 minutes after the peak of stress response.No significant predictive effect was found in the degree of heart rate recovery 1 minute after stress response.The results of the study showed that the perceptual sensitive ERP indicators under nonstress conditions,MMN and eP3 a components,had significant predictive effects on the recovery of acute stress response.Individuals with greater sensitivity are more likely to recover slowly from stress after experiencing acute stressors.