title: Positive emotion inducement modulates cardiovascular responses caused by mental work.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Positive emotion is considered as an important factor related to health-relevant biological processes, including cardiovascular responses. To explore the possibility of using positive emotion as a tool to manage cardiovascular response of white-collar workers, we examined the influence on cardiovascular response of positive emotion inducement before a mental work.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen healthy males participated and performed a 10-min, PC-based Stroop color word task as their mental work. Before the task, 60 pleasant pictures chosen from the International Affective Picture System were presented in a random order under a positive emotion inducement condition while a gray screen was presented under a control condition. A 30-min relaxation period after completing the task was provided to examine the aftereffects of positive emotion inducement. Throughout these periods, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance were measured continuously.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood pressure and total peripheral resistance were lower during the picture presentation period under the positive emotion inducement period compared to the control condition. All indices did not differ during the color word task period. During the relaxation period after the task, however, blood pressure and total peripheral resistance were lower under the positive emotion inducement condition compared to the control condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positive emotion inducement before a mental work beneficially modulates cardiovascular responses, suggesting that positive emotion inducement may be a useful tool to manage the cardiovascular response to mental work.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, 6-21-1 Nagao, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8585, Japan. liu@h.jniosh.johas.go.jp.
authors.forename: Xinxin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5202-3667
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Health Care Sciences, Jikei Institute, 1-2-8 Miyahara, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, 532-0003, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishimatsu
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, 6-21-1 Nagao, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Midori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sotoyama
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, 6-21-1 Nagao, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwakiri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013318:Stroke Volume; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Blood pressure; Mental work; Positive emotion; Total peripheral resistance