Evaluating psychological interventions in a novel experimental human model of anxiety

Ben Ainsworth; Jemma E. Marshall; Daniel Meron; David S. Baldwin; Paul Chadwick; Marcus R. Munafò; Matthew Garner

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.02.001

Evaluating psychological interventions in a novel experimental human model of anxiety

Ben Ainsworth^*, Jemma E. Marshall, Daniel Meron, David S. Baldwin, Paul Chadwick, Marcus R. Munafò, Matthew Garner

^*Corresponding author for this work

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Inhalation of 7.5% carbon dioxide increases anxiety and autonomic arousal and provides a novel experimental model of anxiety with which to evaluate pharmacological and psychological treatments for anxiety. To date several psychotropic drugs including benzodiazepines, SSRIs and SNRIs have been evaluated using the 7.5% CO₂ model; however, it has yet to be used to evaluate psychological interventions. We compared the effects of two core psychological components of mindfulness-meditation (open monitoring and focused attention) against general relaxation, on subjective, autonomic and neuropsychological outcomes in the 7.5% CO₂ experimental model.32 healthy screened adults were randomized to complete 10min of guided open monitoring, focused attention or relaxation, immediately before inhaling 7.5% CO₂ for 20min. During CO₂-challenge participants completed an eye-tracking measure of attention control and selective attention. Measures of subjective anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate were taken at baseline and immediately following intervention and CO₂-challenge.OM and FA practice reduced subjective feelings of anxiety during 20-mininhalation of 7.5% CO₂ compared to relaxation control. OM practice produced a strong anxiolytic effect, whereas the effect of FA was more modest. Anxiolytic OM and FA effects occurred in the absence of group differences in autonomic arousal and eye-movement measures of attention.Our findings are consistent with neuropsychological models of mindfulness-meditation that propose OM and FA activate prefrontal mechanisms that support emotion regulation during periods of anxiety and physiological hyper-arousal. Our findings complement those from pharmacological treatment studies, further supporting the use of CO₂ challenge to evaluate future therapeutic interventions for anxiety.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	117-122
Number of pages	6
Journal	Journal of psychiatric research
Volume	63
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.02.001
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2015

Keywords

Anxiety
Attention
Experimental medicine
Mindfulness

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10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.02.001

Evaluating psychological interventions in_AINSWORTH_Published1April2015_GOLD VoR (CC BY)Final published version, 293 KBLicence: CC BY

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title = "Evaluating psychological interventions in a novel experimental human model of anxiety",

abstract = "Inhalation of 7.5% carbon dioxide increases anxiety and autonomic arousal and provides a novel experimental model of anxiety with which to evaluate pharmacological and psychological treatments for anxiety. To date several psychotropic drugs including benzodiazepines, SSRIs and SNRIs have been evaluated using the 7.5% CO2 model; however, it has yet to be used to evaluate psychological interventions. We compared the effects of two core psychological components of mindfulness-meditation (open monitoring and focused attention) against general relaxation, on subjective, autonomic and neuropsychological outcomes in the 7.5% CO2 experimental model.32 healthy screened adults were randomized to complete 10min of guided open monitoring, focused attention or relaxation, immediately before inhaling 7.5% CO2 for 20min. During CO2-challenge participants completed an eye-tracking measure of attention control and selective attention. Measures of subjective anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate were taken at baseline and immediately following intervention and CO2-challenge.OM and FA practice reduced subjective feelings of anxiety during 20-mininhalation of 7.5% CO2 compared to relaxation control. OM practice produced a strong anxiolytic effect, whereas the effect of FA was more modest. Anxiolytic OM and FA effects occurred in the absence of group differences in autonomic arousal and eye-movement measures of attention.Our findings are consistent with neuropsychological models of mindfulness-meditation that propose OM and FA activate prefrontal mechanisms that support emotion regulation during periods of anxiety and physiological hyper-arousal. Our findings complement those from pharmacological treatment studies, further supporting the use of CO2 challenge to evaluate future therapeutic interventions for anxiety.",

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AU - Marshall, Jemma E.

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AU - Munafò, Marcus R.

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Evaluating psychological interventions in a novel experimental human model of anxiety

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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