Affiliations: Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavior-al
Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Gar-tenstr. 29, 72074
Tübingen, Germany | Department of Biophysics, University of Tren-to,
Italy | Department of Paraplegia, Orthopedics and
Rehabilitation Medicine, BG-Trauma Center, University of Tübingen,
Schnarrenbergstr. 95, 72076 Tübingen, Germany | Institute of Medical Psychology, University of
Frankfurt, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Note: [] Corresponding address: Jochen Kaiser, Institute of Medical
Psychology, Johann Wolfgang Goe-the University, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10,
60528 Frankfurt am Main. Tel.: +49-(0)69-6301 6302; Fax.: +49 (0)69 6301 7606;
E-Mail: j.kaiser@med.uni-frankfurt.de
Abstract: Introduction: This exploratory study investigated the impact of
altered physiological states on emotion processing in quadriplegic patients,
endurance athletes and healthy controls. High cervical spinal cord injury
patients differ from both other groups in their lack of peripheral feedback and
their inability to show motor approach or withdrawal behavior. However, both
patients and athletes at rest are distinguished from non-athletic controls by
their reduced sympathetic nervous system activity which may lead to less
intense emotional experiences. Methods: We measured both physiological (event-related potentials,
skin conductance, heart rate) and subjective responses (valence and arousal
ratings) to stimuli from the International Affective Picture System. Results: While there were no group differences in arousal, both
athletes and quadriplegics tended to rate positive slides as less pleasant and
negative slides as less unpleasant than ablebodied controls. Skin conductance
response was reduced in athletes and absent in quadriplegics, and both groups
had greater heart rate deceleration than controls. The three groups showed
similar electrocortical responses to both pleasant and unpleasant pictures.
Discussion: The similarities between patients and athletes suggest
that feedback of peripheral sympathicoadrenergic processes contributes to
emotion processing. Further research is warranted to elucidate the
contributions of autonomic nervous system activity to emotional experience.
