The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a widely used, reliable, and ecologically valid method for inducing acute stress under controlled conditions. Traditionally, the TSST is administered with staff physically present with participants, which limits the participant populations that can be exposed to the TSST. We describe an adaptation of the TSST to remote, online delivery over video-conferencing, which we call the internet-delivered Trier Social Stress Test (iTSST). This adaption has participants use wearable, self-administered ECG monitors received and returned via mail. Fifty participants were recruited to take part in a pilot study evaluating stress-reduction interventions and completed the iTSST at two occasions separated by approximately 12 weeks. Perceived stress and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured during both administrations of the iTSST. Forty-one participants completed both assessments and were included in the set of analyses. Both administrations were characterized by an increase in self-reported stress and reduction in self-reported relaxation from the resting phase to the speech task, which returned to baseline during recovery. In terms of HRV, we observed a significant parasympathetic response to the iTSST in 90% of participants, evidenced by a decrease in RMSSD and increase in heart rate from resting to the speech task, which recovered during the recovery phase. In terms of repeatability, there was little evidence of habituation and the iTSST elicited a stress response during both the initial administration and the 12-week follow-up. While the utility is limited by the lack of a measure of sympathetic and HPA-axis activity, the iTSST represents a promising research tool when physically interacting with participants is not feasible.

特里尔社会压力测试 (TSST) 是一种广泛使用、可靠且生态有效的方法，用于在受控条件下诱发急性压力。传统上，TSST 由工作人员亲自与参与者一起管理，这限制了可以接触 TSST 的参与者人群。我们描述了 TSST 对通过视频会议进行远程在线交付的适应，我们称之为互联网交付的特里尔社会压力测试 (iTSST)。这种改编让参与者使用通过邮件接收和返回的可穿戴、自我管理的 ECG 监视器。招募了 50 名参与者参加一项评估减压干预措施的试点研究，并在相隔约 12 周的两次时间里完成了 iTSST。在 iTSST 的两次给药期间测量了感知压力和心率变异性 (HRV)。41 名参与者完成了两项评估，并被纳入分析。两次管理的特点是自我报告的压力增加，自我报告的放松从休息阶段到言语任务减少，在恢复期间恢复到基线。在 HRV 方面，我们观察到 90% 的参与者对 iTSST 有显着的副交感神经反应，这可以通过 RMSSD 降低和从休息到言语任务的心率增加来证明，这在恢复阶段恢复。在可重复性方面，几乎没有习惯的证据，iTSST 在初始给药和 12 周的随访期间都引起了应激反应。