Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Cognitive Science

Brain imaging study links increases in positive emotions after cold water immersion to changes in neural connectivity

by Vladimir Hedrih
June 30, 2023
in Cognitive Science, Neuroimaging
Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Don't miss out! Follow PsyPost on Bluesky!

A recent study found that taking a 5-minute bath in cold water can make people feel more active, alert, attentive, proud, and inspired, while also reducing feelings of distress and nervousness. The positive emotions experienced by participants were linked to increased communication between different parts of the brain responsible for attention control, emotion, and self-regulation. The study was published in Biology.

Swimming outdoors and taking cold showers are activities that have become more popular in recent years. People who engage in them typically believe that they are beneficial for their health and that they improve well-being. Recent studies have more or less confirmed that. Cold water exposure triggers various biochemical and physiological reactions in the body that can boost the immune system and improve motor function.

Other studies have also shown that regular swimming in cold water can reduce fatigue, alleviate depressive symptoms, and improve general well-being. Research has indicated that cold water immersion can elevate mood and increase positive emotions. On a biochemical level, exposing the whole body to cold water leads to the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, which play important roles in regulating emotions, stress, and processing rewards.

Study author Ala Yankouskaya of Bournemouth University and her colleagues wanted to understand how mood changes resulting from cold water immersion might be connected to changes in brain connectivity and interactions between different large-scale brain networks. They conducted a study using a type of brain imaging called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The study involved 39 adult participants who were recruited through advertisements on university campuses and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter). The participants had to be free from chronic pain, not using medication, have no history of chronic health disorders, not be pregnant, and not have engaged in cold water immersion in the past 12-18 months.

Upon arriving at the laboratory, the participants completed an assessment of their emotions. The researchers then conducted resting-state MRI scans of their brains and recorded a 2-minute electrocardiogram to measure heart activity. After that, the participants immersed themselves in a cold bath (19.93◦C ± 0.13◦C) up to their collarbones for 5 minutes.

After drying and dressing up, they returned for another MRI scan and completed the emotional assessment once again. As compensation for their participation, each participant received a 20 GBP (around $25) Amazon voucher.

The results of the study showed that the cold water bath significantly increased the participants’ heart rate, and their breathing volume remained elevated throughout the bath. Participants reported feeling more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions after the cold water bath compared to before. They described feeling more active, alert, attentive, inspired, proud, and less nervous.

The MRI data analysis identified two clusters of brain connections that showed significant changes.

“All tiny parts of the brain are connected to each other in a certain pattern when we carry out activities in our day-to-day lives, so the brain works as a whole,” Yankouskaya said in a news release. “After our participants went in the cold water, we saw the physiological effects—such as shivering and heavy breathing. The MRI scans then showed us how the brain rewires its connectivity to help the person cope with the shock.”

The first cluster included heightened connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and certain regions in the salience network. Specifically, there was stronger coupling between the medial prefrontal cortex and the left anterior insula, left rostral prefrontal cortex, and left lateral parietal part of the default mode network. Interestingly, there was also a negative connection between the medial prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex of the salience network.

The default mode network is active during restful wakefulness and is associated with self-reflection and processing internal thoughts and memories. The salience network is involved in detecting and directing attention to important stimuli, integrating sensory and emotional information, and facilitating cognitive control processes.

The second cluster consisted of positive connections between the posterior parietal cortex of the frontoparietal network (associated with attention and cognition), the right inferior parietal sulcus of the dorsal attention network, and the right visual lateral network. These connections also showed significant changes after cold-water immersion.

The increase in positive emotions was found to be associated with altered connectivity involving the medial prefrontal cortex, two nodes of the salience network (anterior cingulate cortex and rostral prefrontal cortex), and connections between different brain regions in the right hemisphere (frontoparietal network, dorsal attention network, and visual lateral network). These brain areas are involved in attention control, emotion, and self-regulation. The reduction in negative emotions did not show strong associations with changes in brain connectivity.

“These are the parts of the brain that control our emotions, and help us stay attentive and make decisions,” Yankouskaya said. “So when the participants told us that they felt more alert, excited and generally better after their cold bath, we expected to see changes to the connectivity between those parts. And that is exactly what we found.”

The study contributes to the scientific understanding of effects of cold water immersion. However, it should be noted that the study did not include a control group. Also, precision mapping of brain networks is not consistent in the literature and minute details about brain networks involved might not be completely accurate.

The study, “Short-Term Head-Out Whole-Body Cold-Water Immersion Facilitates Positive Affect and Increases Interaction between Large-Scale Brain Networks“, was authored by Ala Yankouskaya, Ruth Williamson, Cameron Stacey, John James Totman, and Heather Massey.

TweetSendScanShareSendPin47ShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

Psychedelic’s anti-anxiety effects can be separated from hallucinations by targeting specific brain circuits
Neuroimaging

Psychedelic’s anti-anxiety effects can be separated from hallucinations by targeting specific brain circuits

May 19, 2025

A mouse study published in Science shows that stimulating a specific set of brain cells activated by a psychedelic drug can reduce anxiety without triggering hallucination-like behavior, pointing to new possibilities for targeted mental health treatments.

Read moreDetails
Brain oscillations reveal dynamic shifts in creative thought during metaphor generation
Cognitive Science

Brain oscillations reveal dynamic shifts in creative thought during metaphor generation

May 19, 2025

A new study reveals that creative metaphor generation involves shifting patterns of brain activity, with alpha oscillations playing a key role at different stages of the process, offering fresh insight into the neural dynamics behind verbal creativity.

Read moreDetails
Surprisingly widespread brain activity supports economic decision-making, new study finds
Cognitive Science

Surprisingly widespread brain activity supports economic decision-making, new study finds

May 19, 2025

A new study using direct brain recordings reveals that human economic decision-making is not localized to a single brain region. Instead, multiple areas work together, with high-frequency activity encoding risk, reward probability, and the final choice itself.

Read moreDetails
Scientists finds altered attention-related brain connectivity in youth with anxiety
Anxiety

Scientists finds altered attention-related brain connectivity in youth with anxiety

May 19, 2025

A large neuroimaging study has found that generalized anxiety disorder in youth is linked to increased connectivity in brain circuits involved in attention and emotion, and that these patterns may change with symptom remission.

Read moreDetails
Amphetamine scrambles the brain’s sense of time by degrading prefrontal neuron coordination
Neuroimaging

Amphetamine scrambles the brain’s sense of time by degrading prefrontal neuron coordination

May 18, 2025

Researchers have found that amphetamine alters how the brain processes time, increasing variability in the activity of neurons that encode temporal information. The study provides insight into how the drug affects executive function and decision-making at the neural level.

Read moreDetails
Psychosocial stress triggers an oxytocin response in women, study finds
Neuroimaging

Oxytocin pathways in the brain fuel spontaneous helping behavior in mice

May 16, 2025

A new study published in PNAS shows that mice spontaneously groom and lick unconscious peers, helping them recover from anesthesia. This behavior is driven by oxytocin-related brain pathways, revealing a biologically hardwired capacity for empathy-like helping in rodents.

Read moreDetails
Scientists use brain activity to predict StarCraft II skill in fascinating new neuroscience research
Cognitive Science

Scientists use brain activity to predict StarCraft II skill in fascinating new neuroscience research

May 16, 2025

A study combining brain scans and gameplay data reveals that players with more efficient visual attention and stronger white matter connections excel at StarCraft II. The results highlight how neural traits shape success in cognitively demanding video games.

Read moreDetails
Diet quality and abdominal fat in midlife are linked to brain health in older age
Attractiveness

Biographical details influence how attractive we find faces and change how our brains respond, study finds

May 14, 2025

A new brain imaging study suggests that learning even brief personal details—such as political views or psychiatric history—can alter how attractive someone’s face appears. The brain responds by activating areas involved in processing language, values, and social meaning.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Where you flirt matters: New research shows setting shapes romantic success

Psychedelic’s anti-anxiety effects can be separated from hallucinations by targeting specific brain circuits

New research reveals aging shifts gender stereotypes in unexpected ways

Optimistic individuals are more likely to respond to SSRI antidepressants

Brain oscillations reveal dynamic shifts in creative thought during metaphor generation

Surprisingly widespread brain activity supports economic decision-making, new study finds

Scientists finds altered attention-related brain connectivity in youth with anxiety

From fixed pulses to smart stimulation: Parkinson’s treatment takes a leap forward

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy