Giulia Benvegnù, Rudi Graffer, Federico Maria Lorusso, Sofia Ceccato, Erika Tedesco, Cristiano Chiamulera
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Rationale: Environmental enrichment (EE) is a nonpharmacological approach widely used in preclinical studies and only recently applied to humans using virtual reality (VR). Virtual EE has been shown to decrease basal cravings for smoking and palatable food; however, little is known about what processes are affected by EE. One hypothesis is that it may affect participants' emotional state (stress- relief hypothesis).
Objectives: We aimed to investigate whether physiological parameters of stress response are modified by virtual EE by assessing heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy volunteers. Second, we explored psychological measures of affective and mood states associated to virtual EE and assessed the correlation of HRV to measures of locomotion and interaction in the virtual simulation.
Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers (11 men) were exposed to a virtual EE and Control Environment (CE), in counterbalancing order. HRV and participants' behavior were measured during VR exposure. Self-report measures of mood, arousal, pleasantness and immersion were also collected before and after VR.
Results: Participants showed a significant increase in time-domain HRV (RMSSD), but not in frequency-domain (HF and LF/HF ratio) measures, and self-report measures (pleasantness, activation, positive mood and perception of immersion) in EE vs. CE. Positive correlations between the score of immersion in the VR simulation and HRV indexes emerged in EE scenario only.
Conclusions: The results showed an improvement in subjectively reported emotional state and an increase in parasympathetic component of HRV, suggesting that the mechanism underlying the EE effects found in this and previous work may be due to decreased stress, consistent with the "stress-relief" hypothesis.
期刊介绍：
Official Journal of the European Behavioural Pharmacology Society (EBPS)
Psychopharmacology is an international journal that covers the broad topic of elucidating mechanisms by which drugs affect behavior. The scope of the journal encompasses the following fields:
Human Psychopharmacology: Experimental
This section includes manuscripts describing the effects of drugs on mood, behavior, cognition and physiology in humans. The journal encourages submissions that involve brain imaging, genetics, neuroendocrinology, and developmental topics. Usually manuscripts in this section describe studies conducted under controlled conditions, but occasionally descriptive or observational studies are also considered.
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Translational
This section comprises studies addressing the broad intersection of drugs and psychiatric illness. This includes not only clinical trials and studies of drug usage and metabolism, drug surveillance, and pharmacoepidemiology, but also work utilizing the entire range of clinically relevant methodologies, including neuroimaging, pharmacogenetics, cognitive science, biomarkers, and others. Work directed toward the translation of preclinical to clinical knowledge is especially encouraged. The key feature of submissions to this section is that they involve a focus on clinical aspects.
Preclinical psychopharmacology: Behavioral and Neural
This section considers reports on the effects of compounds with defined chemical structures on any aspect of behavior, in particular when correlated with neurochemical effects, in species other than humans. Manuscripts containing neuroscientific techniques in combination with behavior are welcome. We encourage reports of studies that provide insight into the mechanisms of drug action, at the behavioral and molecular levels.
Preclinical Psychopharmacology: Translational
This section considers manuscripts that enhance the confidence in a central mechanism that could be of therapeutic value for psychiatric or neurological patients, using disease-relevant preclinical models and tests, or that report on preclinical manipulations and challenges that have the potential to be translated to the clinic. Studies aiming at the refinement of preclinical models based upon clinical findings (back-translation) will also be considered. The journal particularly encourages submissions that integrate measures of target tissue exposure, activity on the molecular target and/or modulation of the targeted biochemical pathways.
Preclinical Psychopharmacology: Molecular, Genetic and Epigenetic
This section focuses on the molecular and cellular actions of neuropharmacological agents / drugs, and the identification / validation of drug targets affecting the CNS in health and disease. We particularly encourage studies that provide insight into the mechanisms of drug action at the molecular level. Manuscripts containing evidence for genetic or epigenetic effects on neurochemistry or behavior are welcome.
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