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When I was asked to give an impromptu brief presentation and then calculate in reverse in intervals of 17 – all in front of a group of unfamiliar people – the sudden tension was visible in my features.

The reason was that researchers were documenting this rather frightening scenario for a research project that is examining tension using thermal cameras.

Tension changes the circulation in the face, and researchers have found that the thermal decrease of a individual's nasal area can be used as a measure of stress levels and to monitor recovery.

Thermal imaging, as stated by the scientists conducting the research could be a "transformative advancement" in stress research.

The Scientific Tension Assessment

The scientific tension assessment that I underwent is carefully controlled and deliberately designed to be an unexpected challenge. I arrived at the research facility with no idea what I was about to experience.

First, I was asked to sit, calm down and listen to ambient sound through a pair of earphones.

Thus far, quite relaxing.

Then, the researcher who was conducting the experiment invited a panel of three strangers into the room. They each looked at me quietly as the researcher informed that I now had 180 seconds to develop a five minute speech about my "ideal career".

When noticing the heat rise around my collar area, the scientists captured my face changing colour through their thermal camera. My nasal area rapidly cooled in temperature – appearing cooler on the infrared display – as I thought about how to bluster my way through this impromptu speech.

Research Findings

The researchers have carried out this same stress test on numerous subjects. In every case, they observed the nasal area decrease in warmth by a noticeable amount.

My facial temperature decreased in temperature by a couple of degrees, as my physiological mechanism shifted blood distribution from my nasal region and to my eyes and ears – a physiological adaptation to enable me to see and detect for danger.

Most participants, similar to myself, bounced back rapidly; their noses warmed to normal readings within a brief period.

Lead researcher noted that being a reporter and broadcaster has probably made me "relatively adapted to being placed in stressful positions".

"You're accustomed to the recording equipment and speaking to unfamiliar people, so it's probable you're quite resilient to interpersonal pressures," the researcher noted.

"However, even individuals such as yourself, experienced in handling stressful situations, demonstrates a biological blood flow shift, so this indicates this 'facial cooling' is a robust marker of a shifting anxiety level."

Stress Management Applications

Anxiety is natural. But this discovery, the scientists say, could be used to assist in controlling harmful levels of tension.

"The length of time it takes a person to return to normal from this temperature drop could be an quantifiable indicator of how well an individual controls their anxiety," explained the head scientist.

"When they return exceptionally gradually, could this indicate a potential indicator of psychological issues? Is this an aspect that we can do anything about?"

Because this technique is without physical contact and measures a physical response, it could additionally prove valuable to observe tension in newborns or in those with communication challenges.

The Mental Arithmetic Challenge

The following evaluation in my tension measurement was, in my view, even worse than the initial one. I was asked to count in reverse starting from 2023 in intervals of 17. Someone on the panel of three impassive strangers stopped me whenever I committed an error and told me to begin anew.

I acknowledge, I am bad at mental arithmetic.

During the awkward duration trying to force my brain to perform arithmetic operations, the only thought was that I wished to leave the progressively tense environment.

During the research, only one of the 29 volunteers for the stress test did actually ask to leave. The remainder, similar to myself, finished their assignments – likely experiencing different levels of humiliation – and were given a further peaceful interval of ambient sound through audio devices at the end.

Animal Research Applications

Possibly included in the most unexpected elements of the approach is that, as heat-sensing technology record biological tension reactions that is innate in various monkey types, it can furthermore be utilized in other species.

The investigators are currently developing its implementation within habitats for large monkeys, such as chimps and gorillas. They seek to establish how to lower tension and improve the wellbeing of animals that may have been saved from harmful environments.

Scientists have earlier determined that showing adult chimpanzees video footage of infant chimps has a calming effect. When the investigators placed a video screen close to the protected apes' living area, they saw the noses of creatures that observed the content warm up.

Therefore, regarding anxiety, viewing infant primates interacting is the inverse of a unexpected employment assessment or an impromptu mathematical challenge.

Potential Uses

Implementing heat-sensing technology in primate refuges could demonstrate itself as useful for assisting protected primates to become comfortable to a different community and strange surroundings.

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