There are things you can do to reduce stress, but most of them require you to temporarily stop what you are currently doing. This is not always possible. But new research suggests that automatic brushing of hairy skin is an effective form of passive stress reduction.
Previous research has shown that activities such as meditation and breathing exercises can reduce perceived levels of stress and anxiety. The problem is that when someone is busy with work or other demanding obligations, it can be very difficult to stop and carry out such activities.
With this issue in mind, scientists have previously looked at passive stress-reduction techniques – which don’t require a person to do it consciously. do whatever you are.
One such technique, known as effective touch, is to repeatedly stroke an area of hairy skin on a person’s arm. Although it has proven to be effective, past experiments have used volunteers to manually stroke the subject’s skin with a soft hand-held brush. Needless to say, such arrangements are not very viable in real-life scenarios.
Scientists at Cornell University, led by Professor Tanzeem Choudhury, recently set out to see if the same effect could be achieved with mechanized wearable devices. The gadget they created is worn on the forearm and uses springs and electrical actuators to slowly move synthetic fur back and forth along the skin.
Zhao Yilan
In a single-blind study, a total of 24 volunteers wore the device and performed an adapted version of the Trier Social Stress Test, which consisted of a series of stressful cognitive tasks. The device was on while the treatment group of 12 participants was being tested, but switched off while her other control group of 12 participants was doing so. I was. Both groups experienced a brushing sensation after the stress test was completed.
Physiological responses such as heart rate were found to be the same in both groups throughout the experiment, although the treatment group reported approximately 50% lower levels. recognized Stress and anxiety while they actually perform cognitive tasks. This result is consistent with previous studies in which manual brushes were used.
So why are both types of brushing effective in the first place?
“The main reason is that brushing hairy skin activates a type of mechanoreceptor, C-tactile sensation,” says Cornell University researcher Yiran Zhao. Plays a role in touch.We evolved C tactile to communicate emotions to each other.C tactile activates reward circuits in the brain to create innate pleasure.Pleasure and emotional Together, the support helped the recipient to exercise emotional regulation and composure.”
While the devices used in the experiments may look a little clunky, Zhao said future research could focus on how to manufacture them with more wearable form factors. increase.
A paper on the study, which also included scientists from Stanford University, the University of Chicago, and Georgia Tech, was recently published in a journal. ACM Proceedings on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies.
Source: Cornell University
