Does Stress Change EEG Measures in Students: A Feasibility Study

The study's primary aim is to assess the feasibility of a more extensive future study. The investigators also hypothesise that as the semester progresses, participants will exhibit changes in their EEG outcomes that may be related to longitudinal or direct stressors.

Study design and setting This study will be an observational study with a stress-related questionnaire (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21)) over three time-points.

Participants The investigators aim to recruit 10 participants and assess them three times over the course of their semester, early, middle, and late semester, with at least a four-week gap between each data collection. The investigators aim to recruit only healthy Scottish chiropractic students with no prior diagnosed mental disorder and who are capable of understanding the study procedure.

Procedure Following screening for eligibility and consent, i.e., visit one (baseline), participants will be asked to answer a questionnaire and undergo EEG measurement and Montreal imaging stress task (MIST). The same EEG and questionnaire procedure will be performed in the remaining two data collection sessions.

Each EEG recording session, with the participant seated, will consist of a two-minute resting state with the eyes closed for a baseline relaxation level among the participants. A following two-minute eyes-open phase will take place. After which, participants will be asked to perform the experimental phase of the MIST task, a following two-minute recording phase will be with the eyes open, and a final two-minute resting phase with eyes closed will conclude the task.

The investigators aim to conclude the data collection around 16 weeks after the initial participant is recruited.

Inclusion criteria

Healthy Scottish chiropractic students with no prior diagnosed mental disorder and who are capable of understanding the study procedure.

Exclusion criteria

A pre-diagnosed mental health disorder