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Published on: August 28, 2019
Caloric vestibular stimulation modulates affective control and mood
Nora Preuss1, Gregor Hasler2, Fred W Mast1
1Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Switzerland; Center for Cognition, Learning and Memory, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Caloric vestibular stimulation (CVS) differently affects mood and affective control. Right ear stimulation improved positive affect control, while left ear stimulation impaired it, suggesting clinical potential for mood regulation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Vestibular System
Background:
- Clinical evidence links vestibular dysfunction to mood disorders.
- No prior studies examined mood and affective control during vestibular stimulation in healthy individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of caloric vestibular stimulation (CVS) on affective control.
- To assess mood modulation during CVS using an affective Go/NoGo task.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-two healthy participants performed an affective Go/NoGo task.
- Participants received cold (20 °C) left or right ear CVS or sham (37 °C) stimulation.
- Positive or negative images were targets; participants responded to targets and withheld responses to distractors.
Main Results:
- Affective control improved with right ear CVS for positive stimuli (P = .005).
- Affective control decreased with left ear CVS for positive stimuli (P = .009).
- Left ear CVS decreased positive mood ratings, while right ear CVS had no significant effect.
Conclusions:
- CVS modulates mood and affective control based on the side of stimulation.
- Findings support the clinical potential of CVS for mood regulation, complementing research in manic patients.
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