A sigh following sustained attention and mental stress: Effects on respiratory variability

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• 作者：Elke Vlemincx ; Ilse Van Diest ; Omer Van den Bergh
• 关键词：Respiratory variability ; Sighing ; Mental stress ; Sustained attention
• 刊名：Physiology and Behavior
• 出版年：2012
• 出版时间：20 August, 2012
• 年：2012
• 卷：107
• 期：1
• 页码：1-6
• 全文大小：182 K

文摘

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.