Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

International Conference on Telecommunications

ICT 2018: ICT Innovations 2018. Engineering and Life Sciences pp 39–50Cite as

Electrophysiological and Psychological Parameters of Learning in Medical Students with High Trait Anxiety

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:

  • 725 Accesses

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 940))

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the learning process in 30 subjects with high trait anxiety (mean TMAS score = 33.9 ± 6.7) and in 30 subjects with low trait anxiety (mean TMAS score = 7.5 ± 2.9) aged 19 to 22 years, using psycho-physiological and psychological tests. The electroexpectogram (EXG) paradigm and a computerized psychological test of pattern recognition (P-R) were used. The Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (TMAS) was used for the evaluation of the levels of trait anxiety. The EXG paradigm is an experimental design which is a modified and an expanded auditory CNV paradigm. Based on a biofeedback design, the occurrence of the S2 tone in the EXG paradigm depends on the amplitude of the CNV potential recorded from Cz. If CNV reaches a predefined threshold level, the S2 tone turns off, which causes an extinction of the CNV potential after several consecutive trials. Electrophysiological parameters of the associative learning were: duration of the acquisition and the extinction of the conditioned response, mean amplitude of the contingent negative variation (CNV) during the blocks of acquisition and the extinction of the conditioned response and the speed of the motor response. Psychological parameters included: number of mistakes, number of trials, and time necessary for the P-R test to be completed, as well as the learning efficiency index. The results of the study suggest that subjects with high trait level show significantly slower and less efficient learning process during more complex cognitive tasks compared to subjects with low levels of trait anxiety.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Andrade, L., Caraveo-Anduaga, J., Berglund, P.: Cross-national comparisons of the prevalences and correlates of mental disorders. WHO International Consortium in Psychiatric Epidemiology. Bull. World Health Org. 78, 413–426 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Aronen, E.T., Vuontela, V., Steenari, M.R., Salmi, J., Carlson, S.: Working memory, psychiatric symptoms and academic performance at school. Neurobiol. Learn. Mem. 83(1), 33–42 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Boudarene, M., Timsit-Berthier, M.: Stress, anxiety and event-related potentials. L’Encéphale 23(4), 237–250 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bozinovska, L., Bozinovski, S., Stojanov, G.: Electroexpectogram: experimental design and algorithms. In: Proceedings of the IEEE International Biomedical Engineering Days, pp. 58–60 (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bozinovski, S., Bozinovski, A.: Mental states, EEG manifestations, and mentally emulated digital circuits for brain-robot interaction. IEEE Trans. Auton. Ment. Dev. 7(1), 39–51 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Božinovski, A.: CNV flip-flop as a brain-computer interface paradigm. In: 7th Conference of the Croatian Association of Medical Informatics, pp. 149–154. Croatian Association of Medical Informatics, Rijeka (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Božinovski, A., Božinovska, L.: Anticipatory brain potentials in a brain-computer interface paradigm. In: IEEE EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering, pp. 451–454 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Božinovski, A., Tonković, S., Išgum, V., Božinovska, L.: Robot control using anticipatory brain potentials. Automatika 52(1), 20–30 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Chandavarkar, U., Azzam, A., Mathews, C.: Anxiety symptoms and perceived performance in medical students. Depress. Anxiety 24, 103–111 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Dyrbye, L.N., Thomas, M.R., Shanafelt, T.D.: Systematic review of depression, anxiety and other indicators of psychological distress among U.S. and Canadian medical students. Acad. Med. 81(4), 354–373 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Epstein, S.: The nature of anxiety with emphasis upon its relationships to expectancy. In: Spielberger, C.D. (ed.) Anxiety: Current trends in Theory and Research, vol. 2, pp. 292–334. Academic Press, New York (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Eysenck, M.W., Santos, R., Derakshan, N., Calvo, M.G.: Anxiety and cognitive performance: attentional control theory. Emotion 7(2), 336–353 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Falconer, E.M., et al.: Developing an integrated brain, behavior and biological response profile in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). J. Integr. Neurosci. 7(3), 439–456 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Fales, C.L., et al.: Anxiety and cognitive efficiency: differential modulation of transient and sustained neural activity during a working memory task. Cogn. Affect. Behav. Neurosci. 8(3), 239–253 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Friston, K.J., Stephan, K.E.: Free-energy and the brain. Synthese 159, 417–458 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Goldman, M.L., Shah, R.N., Berstein, C.A.: Depression and suicide among physician trainees: recommendations for a national response. JAMA Psychiatry 72(5), 411–412 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hardy, L.: Stress, anxiety and performance. J. Sci. Med. Sport 2(3), 227–233 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Hayes, S., Hirsch, C., Mathews, A.: Restriction of working memory capacity during worry. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 117(3), 712–717 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Henderson, R.K., Snyder, H.R., Gupta, T., Banich, M.T.: When does stress help or harm? The effects of stress controllability and subjective stress response on Stroop performance. Front. Psychol. 3, 179 (2012). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Kernan, W.D., Wheat, M.E., Lerner, B.A.: Linking learning and health: a pilot study of medical students’ perceptions of the academic impact of various health issues. Acad. Psychiatry 32(1), 61–64 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Kizilbash, A.H., Vanderploeg, R.D., Curtiss, G.: The effects of depression and anxiety on memory performance. Arch. Clin. Neuropsychol. 17, 57–67 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Mancevska, S., Bozinovska, L., Tecce, J., Pluncevik-Gligoroska, J., Sivevska-Smilevska, E.: Depression, anxiety and substance use in medical students in the Republic of Macedonia. Bratisl. Med. J. 109(12), 568–572 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Mancevska, S., Pluncevic, J., Todorovska, L., Dejanova, B., Tecce, J.: Substance use and perceived hassles among junior medical students with high anxiety levels in the Republic of Macedonia. Iran. J. Public Health 43(10), 1451–1453 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Mikolajczyk, R.T., Maxwell, A.E., Naydenova, V., Meier, S., El Ansari, W.: Depressive symptoms and perceived burdens related to being a student: survey in three European countries. Clin. Pract. Epidemiol. Ment. Health 4(10), 19 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-0179-4-19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Moritz, S., et al.: Extent, profile and specificity of visuospatial impairment in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). J. Clin. Exp. Neuropsychol. 27(7), 795–814 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Picton, T.W.: The endogenous evoked potentials. In: Başar, E. (ed.) Dynamics of Sensory and Cognitive Processing by the Brain. Springer Series in Brain Dynamics, vol. 1, pp. 266–274. Springer, Heidelberg (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71531-0_18

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  27. Gligoroska, J.P., Bozinovska, L., Mancevska, S., Sivevska, E., Todorovska, L., Brezovska, J.: EXG parameters in healthy population: electrophysiological standards. Physioacta 2(2), 91–103 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Proulx, G.B., Picton, T.W.: The CNV during cognitive learning and extinction. In: Kornhuber, H.H., Deecke, L. (eds.) Motivation, Motor and Sensory Processes of the Brain. Electric Potential Behavior and Clinical Use, pp. 309–313. Elsevier (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Proulx, G.B., Picton, T.W.: The effects of anxiety and expectancy on CNV. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 23, 617–623 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Rebert, C.S., Tecce, J.J.: The cerebral physiology of preparatory set: understanding the contingent negative variation. In: Ogura, C., Koga, Y., Shimokochi, M. (eds.) Recent Advances in Event-Related Brain Potential Research, pp. 863–873. Elsevier Science B.V. (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Rescorla, R.A., Wagner, A.R.: A theory of Pavlovian conditioning: variations in the effectiveness of reinforcement and non-reinforcement. In: Black, A.H., Prokasy, W.F. (eds.) Classical Conditioning II: Current Research and Theory, pp. 165–189. Appleton-Century-Crofts (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Rochstroh, B., Birbaumer, N., Lutzenberger, W.P.: Slow Brain Potentials and Behavior. Urban and Schwarzenberg, Baltimore (1982)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Rochstroh, B., Cohen, R., Berg, P., Klein, C.: The post-imperative negative variation following ambiguous matching of auditory stimuli. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 25(2), 155–167 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Rose, M., Verleger, R., Wascher, E.: ERP correlates of associative learning. Psychophysiology 38, 440–450 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Rose, E.J., Ebmeirer, K.P.: Pattern of impaired working memory during major depression. J. Affect. Disord. 90(2–3), 149–161 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Roth, R.M., Baribeau, J., Milovan, D.L., O’Connor, K.: Speed and accuracy on tests of executive function in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Brain Cogn. 54(3), 263–265 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Ritter, F.E., Schooler, L.J.: The learning curve. In: International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, Pergamon, pp. 8602–8605 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Walter, W.G., Cooper, R., Aldridge, V.S., McCallum, W.C., Winter, A.L.: Contingent negative variation: an electric sign of sensory-motor association and expectancy in the human brain. Nature 203, 380–384 (1964)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

    Sanja Mancevska & Jasmina Pluncevic-Gligoroska

  2. School of Computer Science and Information Technology, University American College Skopje, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

    Adrijan Božinovski

Authors
  1. Sanja Mancevska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Adrijan Božinovski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jasmina Pluncevic-Gligoroska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Sanja Mancevska or Adrijan Božinovski .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Skopje, Macedonia

    Slobodan Kalajdziski

  2. Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Skopje, Macedonia

    Nevena Ackovska

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Mancevska, S., Božinovski, A., Pluncevic-Gligoroska, J. (2018). Electrophysiological and Psychological Parameters of Learning in Medical Students with High Trait Anxiety. In: Kalajdziski, S., Ackovska, N. (eds) ICT Innovations 2018. Engineering and Life Sciences. ICT 2018. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 940. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00825-3_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00825-3_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-00824-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-00825-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation