The Effect of Breathing on Cognitive Performance and Stress

Texas State University66 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of different breathing techniques on biomarkers of stress and cognitive performance following the Trier Social Stress Test.

This study examined the effect of three various breathing techniques (i.e., normal breathing, prolonged exhalation, and box breathing) on biomarkers of stress and mental performance after the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The TSST has been shown to result in significant increases in psychological and physiological stress markers. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine potential interventions to mitigate the effects of this psychological stressor while maintaining increased cognitive performance. Moreover, previous literature has shown various effects of breathing interventions, therefore, the investigators wished to further validate breathing techniques as an effective tool to mitigate stress and increase cognitive performance. The data from this research provided insight to real life events, allowing for a principal understanding of how to reduce stress, focused at first responder populations.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Stress Acute Stress Reaction Breathing Techniques Cognitive Performance

Interventions

Box BreathingOTHER

Box breathing consisted of a 4 second inhale, 4 second hold, 4 second exhale, 4 second hold; for 4 minutes.

Prolonged ExhalationOTHER

Prolonged Exhalation consisted of a deep, 3 second inhale, followed by a slow 6 second exhale through pursed lips, once every 30 seconds for 4 minutes.

Normal BreathingOTHER

This was the placebo, normal breathing group was instructed to breath as they normally would for the entirety of the 4 minute period.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 39 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Generally healthy * Between the ages of 18-39, * Student at Texas State. Exclusion Criteria: * Any known cardiovascular or metabolic disease * Consuming any medication for psychiatric disorders (i.e., anxiety, depression, ADHD) * Being diagnosed with any psychiatric or physical conditions * Any major stressors in the last 30 days (i.e., birth of a child, abortion, divorce).

Locations (1)

Texas State University, Metabolic & Applied Physiology Lab

San Marcos, Texas, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Cognitive Challenge

Subjects participated in a 1 minute familiarization for the Stroop Color Word Challenge, followed by a full 2 minute Stroop Color Word challenge. Immediately following the Stroop, subjects then participated in a 2 minute mental arithmetic. The Stroop consisted of conflicting color-word fonts, and the subject had to choose the correct font color: subjects had .5 seconds to respond to each answer utilizing a color coordinated keypad. The mental arithmetic consisted of a series of mathematical problems (i.e., one, two, or three digit addition and subtraction). If subjects got an answer wrong for the mental math, a buzzer would sound.

Time frame: 20 minutes prior to TSST start and immediately post TSST.

Heart Rate

Heart rate was recorded immediately prior to each saliva sample using the same tools to record the HRV measure. The Polar H10 and HRVTrace app was utilized to record a Heart rate measure 4 times throughout the study.

Time frame: HR was recorded 4 times, during each saliva sample collection period

State Anxiety Inventory (SAI)

The SAI is a 6 question survey on a 24 point scale, asking the subject to record how they feel. Questions asked were "I am calm", "I am tense", "I am worried", "I am relaxed", etc. Subjects were asked to fill this out 4 times throughout the study, alongside the HR and saliva samples.

Time frame: Timepoint 1-4, 40 minutes pre, 10 minutes pre, immediately post, 25 minutes post.

Heart rate variability

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) was measured three times over the course of the study in order to measure responses to stress. A Polar H10 monitor was used, alongside the HRVTrace app to record the three measures. Each HRV measurement was 7 minutes, and required the subjects to sit quietly and watch a standardized nature video.

Time frame: HRV was recorded immediately following the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th saliva samples.

Secretory Immunoglobin-A

SIgA is a marker of immune function and salivary SIgA concentrations tend to increase when exposed to stress

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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