None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The overall aim of this research is to test whether habitual dietary components or patterns are associated with differences in an individual’s response to acute psychosocial stress, or a de-stress (relaxation) intervention. The hypothesis is that a healthy diet will be associated with better recovery from acute stress, and a better response to a relaxation intervention. The ultimate outcome is to identify dietary interventions and mechanisms which have the potential to reduce stress, increase response to mental health treatment, and increase stress-resilience, and can be investigated further. The objective of this proposed pilot study is to ensure efficacy of the acute stress and relaxation methods (and biological response) before running a larger study, and to determine participant numbers needed for a sufficiently powered larger study.
Interventions
Participants will answer questionaires on habitual diet (food frequency questionaire) and potentially confounding variables sleep, exercise, personality, and trait anxiety. They will then be exposed to a stress intervention (trier social stress test) and a relaxation intervention (progressive muscle relaxaion). Self-reported stress and anxiety, salivary cortisol, and heart rate variability will be measured throughout the two interventions.
The trier social stress test is 20 minutes long, and w
Participants will answer questionaires on habitual diet (food frequency questionaire) and potentially confounding variables sleep, exercise, personality, and trait anxiety. They will then be exposed to a stress intervention (trier social stress test) and a relaxation intervention (progressive muscle relaxaion). Self-reported stress and anxiety, salivary cortisol, and heart rate variability will be measured throughout the two interventions. The trier social stress test is 20 minutes long, and will be administred in groups of four. It involves participants playing the role of a job applicant and giving a 2 minute speech followed by a maths task, in front of a video camera and researchers who are posing as interviewers. The progressive muscle relaxation will be 20 minutes long and involves participants sitting with their eyes closed and listening to a recording which instructs participants to create tension in a certain muscle group (e.g. forehead) and then relax, progressing through several muscle groups in the body. The stress and relaxation intervention will be done on the same day, seperated by 1 hour. Both interventions will be done in person with supervison by research staff.
Sponsors
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Healthy males and females
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria include any serious ongoing medical conditions, low or high blood pressure (systolic less than 90 or higher than 120 or diastolic less than 60 or higher than 80), body mass index outside 19-26 kg/m2, and medication which can affect stress response including but not limited to antidepressant medication, blood pressure medication and asthma medication. Sex hormones can affect response to acute stress so women who are pregnant, lactating or using hormonal contraceptives will be excluded, and sessions will be run only during women’s luteal phase. People who work night shifts or have previously completed the Trier Social Stress Test procedure will also be excluded, as well as those with a current or prior diagnosis of Major Axis I DSM-IV disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) including drug abuse or dependence, or high levels of anxiety or depression (The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score above 15).
Outcome results
None listed