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When I was asked to give an impromptu brief presentation and then calculate in reverse in intervals of 17 – before a group of unfamiliar people – the intense pressure was evident in my expression.

That is because scientists were documenting this quite daunting scenario for a scientific study that is examining tension using heat-sensing technology.

Tension changes the blood distribution in the countenance, and scientists have discovered that the cooling effect of a subject's face can be used as a measure of stress levels and to monitor recovery.

Infrared technology, based on researcher findings conducting the research could be a "transformative advancement" in stress research.

The Experimental Stress Test

The research anxiety evaluation that I underwent is precisely structured and deliberately designed to be an discomforting experience. I arrived at the research facility with little knowledge what I was in for.

To begin, I was asked to sit, calm down and listen to background static through a set of headphones.

Thus far, quite relaxing.

Afterward, the investigator who was running the test invited a group of unfamiliar people into the area. They all stared at me quietly as the scientist explained that I now had 180 seconds to create a five minute speech about my "perfect occupation".

As I felt the warmth build around my throat, the experts documented my face changing colour through their thermal camera. My nasal area rapidly cooled in warmth – showing colder on the infrared display – as I thought about how to bluster my way through this spontaneous talk.

Research Findings

The scientists have conducted this same stress test on multiple participants. In every case, they observed the nasal area cool down by several degrees.

My facial temperature decreased in heat by a couple of degrees, as my physiological mechanism redirected circulation from my nose and to my visual and auditory organs – a physiological adaptation to assist me in look and listen for danger.

Most participants, comparable to my experience, bounced back rapidly; their nasal areas heated to baseline measurements within a brief period.

Principal investigator stated that being a journalist and presenter has probably made me "quite habituated to being placed in tense situations".

"You're familiar with the filming device and speaking to unknown individuals, so you're probably somewhat resistant to social stressors," she explained.

"But even someone like you, accustomed to being tense circumstances, shows a physiological circulation change, so that suggests this 'nasal dip' is a reliable indicator of a shifting anxiety level."

Stress Management Applications

Anxiety is natural. But this discovery, the experts claim, could be used to assist in controlling harmful levels of stress.

"The period it takes someone to recover from this cooling effect could be an reliable gauge of how efficiently somebody regulates their tension," noted the principal investigator.

"Should they recover remarkably delayed, could that be a risk marker of psychological issues? Is this an aspect that we can address?"

Because this technique is without physical contact and monitors physiological changes, it could furthermore be beneficial to observe tension in newborns or in those with communication challenges.

The Mental Arithmetic Challenge

The second task in my stress assessment was, from my perspective, more challenging than the initial one. I was instructed to subtract in reverse starting from 2023 in intervals of 17. A member of the group of expressionless people stopped me each instance I made a mistake and instructed me to recommence.

I acknowledge, I am poor with mental arithmetic.

As I spent awkward duration trying to force my brain to perform mathematical calculations, the only thought was that I wished to leave the growing uncomfortable space.

In the course of the investigation, merely one of the 29 volunteers for the tension evaluation did actually ask to leave. The others, similar to myself, accomplished their challenges – probably enduring varying degrees of discomfort – and were compensated by an additional relaxation period of background static through audio devices at the end.

Non-Human Applications

Perhaps one of the most unexpected elements of the method is that, since infrared imaging record biological tension reactions that is inherent within many primates, it can additionally be applied in non-human apes.

The scientists are actively working on its use in sanctuaries for great apes, including chimpanzees and gorillas. They want to work out how to lower tension and enhance the welfare of creatures that may have been saved from traumatic circumstances.

Scientists have earlier determined that showing adult chimpanzees visual content of young primates has a relaxing impact. When the researchers set up a video screen close to the rescued chimps' enclosure, they saw the noses of animals that watched the footage warm up.

Consequently, concerning tension, observing young creatures playing is the contrary to a surprise job interview or an on-the-spot subtraction task.

Potential Uses

Employing infrared imaging in primate refuges could prove to be beneficial in supporting protected primates to adjust and settle in to a new social group and unfamiliar environment.

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