International audienc

Continuous administration of baclofen via the intrathecal route using this new technique seems to reduce autonomic disorders and spasticity during the early course of severe traumatic head injury.

This study examined the trajectories of emotional states and their within-person synergies with perceived stress and recovery during a 4-month training period preceding the French swimming championships. A Multilevel Growth Curve Analysis approach was used with 16 high level swimmers. Five waves of assessments of emotional states, perceived stress and recovery were completed. Results indicated that emotional states were characterized by distinct trajectories during the training period preceding a major competition. Specifically, significant positive linear effects of time (i.e., linear increase over time) and negative quadratic effects of squared time (i.e., inverted U shape over time) on anxiety, dejection and anger were observed, whereas the opposite pattern of results was found for happiness and excitement. Moreover, level 2 perceived stress and recovery (i.e., inter-individual predictors) were significantly associated with athletes’ unpleasant and pleasant emotional states respectively. At level 1, perceived recovery (i.e., intra-individual predictor) was positively associated with happiness and excitement and negatively related to anxiety, dejection and anger. Finally, within-person interactions of general stress and recovery with time and squared time reached significance for excitement, whereas within-person interactions of specific and total stress with time and squared time reached significance for anxiety. Overall, this study provided insights into the central role played by perceived stress and recovery on the emotional states experienced by high level swimmers. Operational strategies were suggested in order to optimize the stress-recovery balance and in turn the athletes’ emotional states during a complete training program.

The purpose of this study was to identify the potentially distinct defense profiles of athletes in order to provide insight into the complex associations that can exist between defenses and other important variables tied to performance in sports (e.g., coping, perceived stress and control) and to further our understanding of the complexity of the adaptation process in sports. Two hundred and ninety-six (N = 296) athletes participated in a naturalistic study that involved a highly stressful situation: a sports competition. Participants were assessed before and after the competition. Hierarchical cluster analysis and a series of MANOVAs with post hoc comparisons indicated two stable defense profiles (high and low defense profiles) of athletes both before and during sport competition. These profiles differed with regards to coping, stress and control. Athletes with high defense profiles reported higher levels of coping strategies, perceived stress and control than athletes with low defense profiles. This study confirmed that defenses are involved in the psychological adaptation process and that research and intervention should not be based only on coping, but rather must include defense mechanisms in order to improve our understanding of psychological adaptation in competitive sports.

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This study examined the trajectories of elite swimmers' recovery-stress states and cardiac vagal-related markers during a 3-month training period preceding the national championship and their within-person relationships with perceived control. A Multilevel Growth Curve Analysis (MGCA) approach was used with 21 male elite swimmers. Four waves of assessments of psychological (stress, recovery, perceived control) and physiological (heart rate recovery, heart rate variability) markers were completed during a 3month training preparation leading to a major competition. Results of MGCA revealed (a) a significant positive linear effect of time (ie, linear increase over time) and a significant negative quadratic effect of time (ie, inverted U shape over time) on perceived stress whereas the opposite pattern of results was observed for perceived recovery; and (b) a significant positive linear effect of time for nHRR60. Both at level 1 (within-person level of analysis) and 2 (between-person level of analysis), perceived control was (a) positively associated with athletes' perceived recovery and parasympathetic markers (ie, MeanRR; pNN50); and (b) negatively related to swimmers' perceived stress. Results also indicated that within-person interactions of perceived control with time reached significance for general recovery and HRV. Finally, within-person interaction of perceived control with squared time reached significance for subjective sport-specific and total stress. Overall, this study provided insights into the key role played by perceived control on both psychological and physiological markers related to recovery-stress states' levels during the 3-month training period preceding the national championship.

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