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When I was asked to give an impromptu short talk and then count backwards in steps of 17 – before a group of unfamiliar people – the sudden tension was evident in my expression.

The reason was that scientists were documenting this rather frightening scenario for a research project that is examining tension using heat-sensing technology.

Stress alters the blood flow in the facial area, and researchers have found that the drop in temperature of a subject's face can be used as a measure of stress levels and to monitor recovery.

Thermal imaging, based on researcher findings conducting the research could be a "game changer" in anxiety studies.

The Scientific Tension Assessment

The scientific tension assessment that I underwent is carefully controlled and intentionally created to be an unpleasant surprise. I came to the university with minimal awareness what I was in for.

First, I was asked to sit, calm down and experience ambient sound through a audio headset.

Thus far, quite relaxing.

Subsequently, the researcher who was conducting the experiment invited a group of unfamiliar people into the space. They collectively gazed at me quietly as the researcher informed that I now had three minutes to create a brief presentation about my "perfect occupation".

While experiencing the heat rise around my throat, the researchers recorded my face changing colour through their heat-sensing equipment. My nose quickly dropped in temperature – showing colder on the thermal image – as I contemplated ways to navigate this unplanned presentation.

Research Findings

The researchers have conducted this same stress test on numerous subjects. In every case, they saw their nose decrease in warmth by a noticeable amount.

My nose dropped in heat by two degrees, as my physiological mechanism pushed blood flow away from my nose and to my sensory systems – a physical reaction to help me to look and listen for hazards.

The majority of subjects, similar to myself, bounced back rapidly; their facial temperatures rose to pre-stressed levels within a few minutes.

Principal investigator stated that being a reporter and broadcaster has probably made me "somewhat accustomed to being subjected to stressful positions".

"You're accustomed to the camera and conversing with unfamiliar people, so you're likely somewhat resistant to public speaking anxieties," she explained.

"But even someone like you, accustomed to being tense circumstances, shows a physiological circulation change, so which implies this 'nasal dip' is a reliable indicator of a changing stress state."

Tension Regulation Possibilities

Anxiety is natural. But this revelation, the researchers state, could be used to aid in regulating negative degrees of anxiety.

"The length of time it takes someone to recover from this nasal dip could be an objective measure of how efficiently a person manages their tension," explained the lead researcher.

"If they bounce back exceptionally gradually, might this suggest a risk marker of anxiety or depression? Is it something that we can do anything about?"

As this approach is non-intrusive and monitors physiological changes, it could additionally prove valuable to observe tension in newborns or in those with communication challenges.

The Mental Arithmetic Challenge

The following evaluation in my stress assessment was, in my view, more difficult than the initial one. I was asked to count backwards from 2023 in intervals of 17. A member of the group of three impassive strangers interrupted me whenever I made a mistake and asked me to start again.

I acknowledge, I am inexperienced in mental arithmetic.

During the awkward duration striving to push my brain to perform arithmetic operations, the only thought was that I wanted to flee the increasingly stuffy room.

In the course of the investigation, just a single of the multiple participants for the tension evaluation did genuinely request to exit. The remainder, comparable to my experience, accomplished their challenges – probably enduring assorted amounts of discomfort – and were compensated by another calming session of white noise through headphones at the end.

Animal Research Applications

Maybe among the most remarkable features of the technique is that, since infrared imaging monitor physiological anxiety indicators that is innate in numerous ape species, it can also be used in non-human apes.

The investigators are presently creating its use in sanctuaries for great apes, including chimpanzees and gorillas. They aim to determine how to lower tension and enhance the welfare of creatures that may have been saved from harmful environments.

The team has already found that displaying to grown apes video footage of young primates has a soothing influence. When the investigators placed a visual device near the rehabilitated primates' habitat, they noticed the facial regions of creatures that observed the material heat up.

Consequently, concerning tension, watching baby animals interacting is the opposite of a surprise job interview or an on-the-spot subtraction task.

Future Applications

Using thermal cameras in ape sanctuaries could demonstrate itself as beneficial in supporting protected primates to adapt and acclimate to a different community and unknown territory.

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