Figure 2

Experimental approaches used to assess the effects of TEN on basal sympathetic tone, mood and acute stress responses.

(a) The photographs illustrate the montage and device used to target cranial and cervical spinal afferents. (b) The photograph illustrates the testing room and shows an infrared (IR) camera, integrated heart rate and galvanic skin conductance sensors, a bar electrode used to deliver fear conditioning stimuli and a monitor for presenting stimuli. In sub-panels (c–e) schematics illustrating the three experimental paradigms used in this study are shown. (c) The schematic depicts Experiment 1 designed to evaluate the influence of TEN and sham stimulation on a sympathetic skin response by monitoring emotional thermoregulation of facial temperatures using functional IR thermography. (d) The schematic depicts Experiment 2 designed to investigate the influence of TEN and sham stimulation on affective mood states. (e) The schematic depicts the experimental approach used to evaluate the influence of TEN and sham stimulation on psychophysiological and biochemical responses to stress. For additional details, see Methods.