Physiological and Affective Underarousal as a Function of Mild Head Injury in University Students
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1
Brock University, Department of Psychology, Canada
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2
Brock University, Department of Psychology and Centre for Neurosciences, Canada
Since the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is particularly vulnerable in mild head injury (MHI), emotional responses may be at risk. Research (e.g., Tranel & Damasio, 1994) has shown that persons with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) to the ventromedial PFC present with underarousal (i.e., reduced electrodermal responses; flattened affect). Previous research (Jung & Good, 2007) has demonstrated that persons with a history of MHI cognitively benefit memory and attention performance with increased arousal. In this study we examined the affective, cognitive and physiological (i.e., EDA, heart rate) status of university students (N = 90) with self-reported MHI (i.e., altered state of consciousness) and no-MHI after inducing relaxation or stress. Students who acknowledged a history of MHI were physiologically and emotionally underaroused and less responsive to the arousal manipulations compared to their no-MHI cohort; whereas they were advantaged from increased arousal on tasks of cognitive flexibility. Overall, university students with self-reported MHI presented with a profile of underarousal, albeit more subtle, that is similar to persons with moderate to severe TBI and reported significantly more post-concussive symptoms than their no-MHI cohort and indicate that these effects may not be transient.
Conference:
The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes, Toronto, Canada, 22 Mar - 26 Mar, 2010.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Neuropsychology
Citation:
Baker
J and
Good
D
(2010). Physiological and Affective Underarousal as a Function of Mild Head Injury in University Students.
Conference Abstract:
The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.14.00124
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Received:
30 Jun 2010;
Published Online:
30 Jun 2010.
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Correspondence:
D E Good, Brock University, Department of Psychology, St. Catherines, Canada, Dawn.good@brocku.ca