Hypertension, emotions, and stress

For the “Leipzig study for mind-body-emotion interactions” (LEMON), healthy younger and older participants were psychometrically characterized with respect to cognitive capacities and emotional or stress reactivity. In task-free (i.e., resting-state) and task-based measurements, the central nervous system of participants was comprehensively assessed using functional and structural neuroimaging (DWI, f/MRI, EEG). At the same time, activity in the autonomic nervous system was recorded (electrocardiogram and pulse, respiration, blood pressure) and endocrine markers in blood and hair were analysed.
The data are openly available via GWDG, OpenNEURO, and fcon1000.

Key publications:
Babayan et al. (2019). A mind-brain-body dataset of MRI, EEG, cognition, emotion, and peripheral physiology in young and old adults. Scientific Data, 6, 180308.

Mendes et al. (2019). A functional connectome phenotyping dataset including cognitive state and personality measures. Scientific Data, 6, 180307.

Schaare et al. (2019). Association of peripheral blood pressure with gray matter volume in 19- to 40-year-old adults. Neurology, 92(8), e758–e773. more

The "neural consequences of stress" (NECOS) project is an extension of the LEMON study, in which 67 young healthy males completed a psychosocial stress intervention (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) or a control condition without a stressor (Placebo-TSST). Throughout the study, autonomic (ECG), endocrine (saliva, blood, plasma), and subjective stress measures were acquired (at 14 time points, T). Before and after the intervention, they completed MRI scans (anatomical MRI and resting-state fMRI).

Key publications:
Bae, Reinelt et al. (2018). Salivary cortisone, as a biomarker for psychosocial stress, is associated with state anxiety and heart rate. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 101(35–41).

Reinelt, Uhlig et al. (2019). Acute psychosocial stress alters thalamic network centrality. NeuroImage, 199, 680–690.

Uhlig et al. (2023). Rapid volumetric brain changes after acute psychosocial stress. NeuroImage