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The aim of this study is to investigate how the schema modes defined in Schema Theory group together and accordingly question the conceptualization of schema modes considering the theories combining evolutionary, neuroscientific, and psychological point of views in psychology literature. It was hypothesized that there would be differences in the categorization and conceptualization of schema modes conceptualized by Schema Theory based on Polyvagal Theory. The sample of the study consists of 2032 participants aged between 18 and 71 years old (M = 36.00, SD = 14.312) who applied to a psychotherapy center in Istanbul working with the approach of Schema Therapy. Short Schema Mode Inventory was applied to the participants. According to the results of the second-order factor analysis, compliant surrenderer, healthy adult, punitive parent, happy child, and detached protector modes were clustered in the first factor. Impulsive child, enraged child, condescending, and easily bored child modes were loaded under the second factor while demanding parent, detached self-soother, and status-seeking modes were loaded under the third factor. When the results were evaluated with respect to Polyvagal Theory, it was determined that the first factor represented the parasympathetic nervous system activation and consisted of schema modes that include surrender, freezing, and socialization responses while the second factor consisting of schema modes related to flight or fight responses represented the sympathetic nervous system activation. Moreover, the third factor consisted of the schema modes of the sympathetic nervous system, which included flight or fight responses with parasympathetic inhibition (vagal brake). The results were discussed in line with the literature., Author(s): Hasan Alp Karaosmanoglu [sup.1] , Nida Ates [sup.2] , Bahar Köse Karaca [sup.3] , Mert Aytaç [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) Psikonet Psychotherapy and Education Center, , Istanbul, Turkey (2) [...]

Five clays of integrative body--mind training (IBMT) improves attention and self-regulation in comparison with the same amount of relaxation training. This paper explores the underlying mechanisms of this finding. We measured the physiological and brain changes at rest before, during, and after 5 days of IBMT and relaxation training. During and after training, the IBMT group showed significantly better physiological reactions in heart rate, respiratory amplitude and rate, and skin conductance response (SCR) than the relaxation control. Differences in heart rate variability (HRV) and EEG power suggested greater involvement of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in the IBMT group during and after training. Imaging data demonstrated stronger subgenual and adjacent ventral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity in the IBMT group. Frontal midline ACC theta was correlated with high-frequency HRV, suggesting control by the ACC over parasympathetic activity. These results indicate that after 5 days of training, the IBMT group shows better regulation of the ANS by a ventral midfrontal brain system than does the relaxation group. This changed state probably reflects training in the coordination of body and mind given in the IBMT but not in the control group. These results could be useful in the design of further specific interventions. anterior cingulate cortex | body-mind interaction | IBMT

Individual differences in autonomic feedback--the dispositional tendency to experience signs and symptoms of autonomic nervous system activity in response to positive and negative emotionally evocative stimuli--were hypothesized to relate to affective and behavioral job outcomes in occupations characterized by job stress because higher autonomic feedback would intensify reactions to emotional evocation. In a cross-sectional study of Dutch salespeople, individual differences in autonomic feedback were independent of role stress and yet were strongly and positively related to burnout and negatively related to extra-role performance and job satisfaction; they were also nonsignificantly and negatively related to in-role job performance. Further, when job stress was higher--high role stress or low managerial support--individual differences in autonomic feedback were more strongly related to burnout, especially emotional exhaustion.

The effects of sodium lactate-induced panic attacks on cerebrovascular performance was analyzed to determine the characteristics of autonomic and hormonal responses to panic attacks in healthy humans. Infusions of sodium lactate in healthy humans accelerated heart rate due to panic. Sodium acetate-induced panic attacks also reduced the high-frequency and low-frequency spectral components of heart rate variability due to the enhanced release of atrial natriuretic hormones.

The effects of Stroop color-word conflict test (CWT) on heart rate (HR) variability, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and instantaneous lung volume were analyzed to determine the physiological effects of mental stress. Exposure of healthy human subjects to CWT increased HR, SBP, norepinephrine and epinephrine levels. However, CWT decreased reflex blood pressure and respiratory modulation of HR. Furthermore, mental stress altered the fractal nature of HR variability in human subjects.

The relation between measures of heart period and vagal tone and infant reactivity was investigated in a longitudinal study of infants from birth to 5 months of age. At 2 days of age, electrocardiogram (EKG) was recorded and a pacifier-withdrawal task was administered. At 5 months of age, EKG was recorded, after which infants and mothers participated in a laboratory session designed to elicit positive and negative reactivity. Maternal ratings of 5-month infant temperament were also obtained. There was a significant concurrent relation between 5-month vagal tone and negative reactivity elicited in the laboratory and maternal ratings of activity level and smiling behavior. Newborn vagal tone predicted maternal ratings of frustration and fear. Moderate stability was found for infant reactivity.

Cardiovascular and catecholaminergic activity during mental load were studied in patients with Tourette syndrome. Patients and controls performed the Color Word Test, preceded by a baseline period, with continuous measurements of heart rate and blood pressure. Blood samples for assay of plasma catecholamine concentrations were obtained before and during the test. The patients showed higher heart rate and blood pressure during baseline than controls, but no differences regarding plasma catecholamines. The tics corresponded with transient increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Spectral analysis of cardiovascular variability during mental load gave only limited evidence of increased sympathetic activity and no alterations in parasympathetic activity in the patients. Therefore, our findings indicate enhanced cardiovascular activity in the patients but not during mental load. The effects of tics on the cardiovascular parameters illustrate the functional complexity of the autonomic nervous system in Tourette syndrome.

In 28 male and 42 female college students, rs between scores for Psychoticism, Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Lying from the Eysenck Personality Inventory and a measure of sympathetic dominance were of low magnitude, failing to support Eysenck's hypothesis that neuroticism is associated with imbalance in the autonomic nervous system.