Biological Factors and Self-Perception of Stress Predict Human Freeze-Like Responses in the Context of Self-Defence Training and Personal Experience with Violence

• DOI: 10.1101/2021.11.02.466879
• Publication Date: 2021-11-04T16:25:12Z
• Authors: Peter Lenart; Michal Vít; Klára Marečková; Jan Novák; Filip Zlámal; Michal Mikl; Zdenko Reguli; Martin Bugala; Jitka Čihounková; Pavel Přecechtěl; Vojtěch Malčík; Tomáš Vojtíšek; Jan Kučera; Jana Fialová Kuče...; Veronika Hajnová; Marie Tomandlová; Radek Šíp; Lucie Ráčková; Markéta Grulichová; Josef Tomandl; Milan Brázdil; Julie Bienertova-...
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences

Abstract Many animals react to threatening stimuli such as a predator attacks by freezing. However, little experimental research investigated freeze response in humans. Here, we have employed practices commonly used self-defence training create two unique scenarios simulating armed physical attacks. Sixty healthy men volunteers divided into three groups of twenty (untrained, trained but unexperienced, and experienced) underwent these accompanied measurement biochemical, physiological, psychological markers stress. All participants also an fMRI session during which they observed neutral negative images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Our results show that can induce freeze-like men. In addition, demonstrate while electrodermal activity (EDA), subjective stress perception, brain predict men, their effect on is entirely dependent level experience given individual.