Search

We studied the difference in the habituation of the rapid sympathetic response to slightly and highly aversive timbres in 68 males. We measured the decrease in the blood volume pulse amplitude ( BVP response) as the rapid sympathetic response and the low- (0.04-0.15 Hz) to high- (0.15-0.40 Hz) frequency ( LF/ HF) ratio of heart rate variability as the sympathovagal balance. The BVP response was suppressed for slightly aversive timbres that had been presented once before, but not for a highly aversive timbre. In contrast, the prior presentation of a highly aversive timbre enhanced the BVP response to a slightly aversive timbre. Only a highly aversive timbre reduced the LF/ HF ratio. We suggest that the lack of habituation of the rapid sympathetic response to an aversive timbre is the result of the balance between the effects of the increase caused by the change in sympathovagal balance to vagal dominance and the decrease caused by classical habituation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared the effects of 2‐month CPAP or exercise training (ET) therapies on the autonomic balance in moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) through heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. Thirty‐nine OSA patients were divided into CPAP (n = 18) and ET (n = 21) groups, being further split into hypertensive and non‐hypertensive subgroups. All patients were submitted to continuous ECG recordings for HRV analysis. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded by oscillometry. Excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep quality were assessed through the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Pittsburgh questionnaire, respectively. ET decreased systolic arterial pressure in hypertensive and non‐hypertensive participants when compared to baseline values, whereas diastolic arterial pressure was decreased only in non‐hypertensive ones. CPAP had no effect over hemodynamic parameters in either subgroup. ET significantly increased the HRV parameters SDNN and pNN50 in non‐hypertensive participants, while reducing the LF/HF ratio in both subgroups. CPAP significantly decreased SDNN in both subgroups. ET significantly decreased excessive daytime sleepiness in both subgroups, but did not affect sleep quality. CPAP significantly improved sleep quality in both subgroups, although global scores were still those of poor sleepers, while excessive daytime sleepiness was normalized only in hypertensive patients. In conclusion, while short‐term ET modulated different HRV parameters, leading to a predominant vagal tone in the cardiac sympathovagal balance and decreasing blood pressure in moderate to severe OSA, short‐term CPAP had next to no effect in these parameters. We believe ET should be considered as an adjunct interventional strategy in the conservative management of hypertensive or non‐hypertensive OSA patients. Our findings add new perspectives on autonomic dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is considered the first mechanism underlying cardiovascular comorbidities in OSA patients. We also complement previous evidence showing that exercise training induces beneficial physiological responses on autonomic regulation. Therefore, we believe this treatment may be efficient as an adjunct interventional strategy to the conservative management of OSA, predominantly in the first months, when continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) responses cannot yet be detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing quantifiable biological markers associated with anxiety will increase the objectivity of phenotyping and enhance genetic research of anxiety disorders. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a physiological measure reflecting the dynamic relationship between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and is a promising target for further investigation. This review summarizes evidence evaluating HRV as a potential physiological biomarker of anxiety disorders by highlighting literature related to anxiety and HRV combined with investigations of endophenotypes, neuroimaging, treatment response, and genetics. Deficient HRV shows promise as an endophenotype of pathological anxiety and may serve as a noninvasive index of prefrontal cortical control over the amygdala, and potentially aid with treatment outcome prediction. We propose that the genetics of HRV can be used to enhance the understanding of the genetics of pathological anxiety for etiological investigations and treatment prediction. Given the anxiety–HRV link, strategies are offered to advance genetic analytical approaches, including the use of polygenic methods, wearable devices, and pharmacogenetic study designs. Overall, HRV shows promising support as a physiological biomarker of pathological anxiety, potentially in a transdiagnostic manner, with the heart–brain entwinement providing a novel approach to advance anxiety treatment development. This review proposes that the genetics of heart rate variability (HRV) can be used to identify novel treatment targets for anxiety disorders given that impaired HRV has support as an anxiety endophenotype, reflects anxiety‐related brain activation patterns, and may predict treatment response. Advanced approaches such as use of wearables to collect large samples, polygenic risk score methods, and pharmacogenetics are suggested to develop HRV genetic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent evidence suggests that the autonomic nervous system can contribute to memory consolidation during sleep. Whether fluctuations in cardiac autonomic activity during sleep following physical exercise contribute to the process of memory consolidation has not been studied. We assessed the effects of a non‐rapid eye movement (NREM) nap following acute exercise on cardiac autonomic regulation assessed with heart rate variability (HRV) to examine if HRV influences memory processes. Fifty‐six (59% female) healthy young adults (23.14 ± 3.74 years) were randomly allocated to either the exercise plus nap (ExNap, n = 27) or nap alone (NoExNap, n = 29) groups. The ExNap group performed a 40‐minute moderate‐intensity cycling, while the NoExNap group was sedentary prior to learning 45 neutral pictures for a later test. Subsequently, participants underwent a 60‐minute NREM nap while measuring EKG, followed by a visual recognition test. Our results indicated that heart rate did not significantly differ between the groups (p =.243), whereas vagally mediated HRV indices were lower in the ExNap group compared to the NoExNap group (p <.05). There were no significant differences in sleep variables between the groups (p >.05). Recognition accuracy was significantly higher in the ExNap group than in the NoExNap group (p =.027). In addition, the recognition accuracy of the ExNap group was negatively associated with vagally mediated HRV (p <.05). Pre‐nap acute exercise appears to attenuate parasympathetic activity and to alter the relationship between memory and cardiac autonomic activity. Our findings reinforce those of previous studies and together show the contribution of parasympathetic tone to memory consolidation during sleep. The negative relationship between recognition memory performance and parasympathetic activity indicates that the alteration of parasympathetic tone following acute exercise may be unfavorable to memory consolidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding psychosomatic relations, and their implications for heath, is importantly dependent on our conceptual and measurement models. The historical view of reciprocal control of the autonomic branches is applicable in some contexts, but not others. Control of the autonomic branches can vary reciprocally, independently, and even coactively. Assessment of sympathovagal balance, based on a reciprocal model of regulation of the autonomic branches, may have applications in orthostatic contexts and in insulin resistance in diabetes. However, it does not adequately capture the pattern of autonomic control that is relevant for myocardial infarction (MI; in humans) and experimental cardiac arrest (in mice). A measure of sympathovagal balance (cardiac autonomic balance) was predictive and informative of the autonomic contributions to diabetes but was blind to autonomic contributions to cardiac arrest and its sequelae. However, a metric designed to capture the coactivity dimension of cardiac autonomic regulation (CAR) was predictive of MI and its sequelae. Both human and animal model studies revealed that low CAR (low sympathetic and especially low parasympathetic control) predicted the occurrence of MI and the neuroinflammatory consequences of cardiac arrest. These effects were importantly modulated by social support in both humans and animals, via an apparent oxytocinergic pathway that impacts parasympathetic cardiac control and CAR, and thus neuroinflammation. Results indicate the importance of a physiologically meaningful model of autonomic control in understanding health implications of the modes of autonomic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite supportive behaviors playing a central role in intimate relationships, the extent to which physiological and psychological factors are involved in the quality of the observed spousal support, remains largely unknown. From a physiological stance, cardiac synchrony has been identified as an important component involved in dyadic interpersonal interactions. This study aims to examine whether individual differences in attachment determine, at least to some extent, whether cardiac synchrony enhances or impedes the quality of the observed spousal support. Specifically, this study examines whether attachment style moderates the biobehavioral link between positive cardiac synchrony and observed spousal support. A total of 58 couples expecting their first child participated in a supportive interaction while their cardiovascular responses were recorded, and the quality of their caregiving behaviors was coded. Results indicated that couples' cardiovascular dynamics were synchronized during the supportive interaction. Furthermore, attachment moderated the association between positive cardiac synchrony and the behavioral manifestation of support, such that cardiac synchrony was negatively associated with the quality of support when offered by caregivers with higher scores of attachment anxiety. Our findings show that for those caregivers who have higher levels of anxious attachment—being synchronized with their care seeking spouses is associated with difficulties in providing effective support. We discuss these findings in the context of the emotion regulation difficulties characteristic of anxious attachment patterns. These findings suggest that future work could benefit from performing comprehensive studies that consider physiological, behavioral, and psychological constructs simultaneously. Our findings add a new perspective concerning a physiological mechanism involved in couples' supportive behaviors while taking into account one's attachment style. Whereas previous work pertaining to physiological synchrony tended to focus on couples' conflictual situations, the current work examined physiological synchrony during a supportive interaction. Results showed that couples exhibited physiological synchrony in their cardiovascular dynamics during supportive interaction. Importantly, this synchrony was negatively associated with positive support among caregivers with high attachment anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the mechanisms remain unclear. Autonomic dysfunction, associated with higher CVD risk, may be triggered by acute PTSD symptoms. We hypothesized that a laboratory‐based trauma reminder challenge, which induces acute PTSD symptoms, provokes autonomic dysfunction in a cohort of veteran twins. We investigated PTSD‐associated real‐time physiologic changes with a simulation of traumatic experiences in which the twins listened to audio recordings of a one‐minute neutral script followed by a one‐minute trauma script. We examined two heart rate variability metrics: deceleration capacity (DC) and logarithmic low frequency (log‐LF) power from beat‐to‐beat intervals extracted from ambulatory electrocardiograms. We assessed longitudinal PTSD status with a structured clinical interview and the severity with the PTSD Symptoms Scale. We used linear mixed‐effects models to examine twin dyads and account for cardiovascular and behavioral risk factors. We examined 238 male Veteran twins (age 68 ± 3 years old, 4% black). PTSD status and acute PTSD symptom severity were not associated with DC or log‐LF measured during the neutral session, but were significantly associated with lower DC and log‐LF during the traumatic script listening session. Long‐standing PTSD was associated with a 0.38 (95% confidence interval, −0.83,‐0.08) and 0.79 (−1.30,‐0.29) standardized unit lower DC and log‐LF, respectively, compared to no history of PTSD. Traumatic reminders in patients with PTSD lead to real‐time autonomic dysregulation and suggest a potential causal mechanism for increased CVD risk, based on the well‐known relationships between autonomic dysfunction and CVD mortality. Our study employed an innovative laboratory trauma recall challenge to examine the acute impact of PTSD symptoms on autonomic physiology in male veteran twins. We found evidence that PTSD leads to real‐time pathological effects on the autonomic nervous system such as vagal withdrawal. Our findings provide direct evidence to a causal mechanism linking PTSD to heart disease by comparing PTSD discordant twin brothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reward positivity (RewP) event‐related potential is a well‐validated measure of reward processing implicated in internalizing psychopathologies. The RewP is thought to reflect reward reactivity in the mesocorticolimbic system; however, it is not clear how the RewP is related to the functional connectivity of reward‐related brain regions. The current study examined associations between the RewP (Win and Loss residuals) and resting‐state fMRI (rs‐fMRI), among adults with internalizing psychopathology (IP) and healthy controls (HC). All participants (N = 102) completed a validated monetary reward task during electroencephalogram and rs‐fMRI. Regression analyses were conducted with (1) RewP‐Win residual amplitude and striatal seeds (caudate, putamen, nucleus accumbens) and (2) RewP‐Loss residual amplitude and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) seeds. Overall, individuals with greater RewP‐Win residual amplitude demonstrated increased rs‐fMRI connectivity between striatal regions and the medial prefrontal cortex, as well as the parahippocampal gyrus, but decreased connectivity between striatal regions and regions involved in cognitive control and sensorimotor processing. Greater RewP‐Loss residual was related to greater connectivity between the ACC and regions involved in reward/loss processing and motor control, but decreased connectivity between the ACC and regions involved in cognitive control. Relationships between the RewP and rs‐fMRI were generally consistent across IP and HC. However, a few patterns were unique to IP. Results indicate the RewP is associated with resting‐state functional connectivity of reward‐ and loss‐related brain regions, suggesting connectivity of the mesocorticolimbic system may be an important individual difference factor in dimensions of attainment of reward and loss. Our results provide the first preliminary evidence that the RewP, a neurophysiological marker of initial response to reward and loss, is associated with functional connectivity of the mesocorticolimbic system during resting‐state fMRI among individuals with and without internalizing psychopathologies. Mesocorticolimbic connectivity may be an important individual difference factor in determining how individuals respond to the attainment of reward and loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive emotional responding is crucial for psychological well‐being and the quality of social interactions. Resting heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of autonomic nervous system activity, has been suggested to index individual differences in emotion regulation (ER). As non‐intimate social interactions require more regulatory efforts than intimate social interactions, we predicted that the association between HRV and affective interaction quality is moderated by the perceived intimacy of the exchange. Thus, we expected higher HRV to be particularly beneficial for affective interaction quality in non‐intimate social interactions. Resting HRV was measured in the laboratory (N = 144). Subsequently, participants reported their affective interaction quality—as indicated by more positive and fewer negative emotions perceived in the self and the other—during an experience‐sampling social interaction diary task. As predicted, in non‐intimate interactions, individuals with higher HRV reported more positive and fewer negative emotions and perceived fewer negative emotions in their interaction partners. The results provide further insights into the relationship between HRV and emotional experiences during social interactions. Resting heart rate variability (HRV) is known to index adaptive emotional responding. We examined whether HRV influences affective interaction quality during naturally occurring nontrivial social interactions across several days. Our results suggest that the intimacy of the interaction plays a major role in determining the benefits of HRV for social exchanges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow, deep breathing (SDB) is a common pain self‐management technique. Stimulation of the arterial baroreceptors and vagal modulation are suggested, among others, as potential mechanisms underlying the hypoalgesic effects of SDB. We tested whether adding an inspiratory load to SDB, which results in a stronger baroreceptor stimulation and vagal modulation, enhances its hypoalgesic effects. Healthy volunteers performed SDB (controlled at 0.1 Hz) with and without an inspiratory threshold load. Controlled breathing (CB) at a normal frequency (0.23 Hz) was used as an active control. Each condition lasted 90 s, included an electrical pain stimulation on the hand, and was repeated four times in a randomized order. Pain intensity, self‐reported emotional responses (arousal, valence, dominance), and cardiovascular parameters (including vagally‐mediated heart rate variability) were measured per trial. A cover story was used to limit the potential effect of outcome expectancy. Pain intensity was slightly lower during SDB with load compared with normal‐frequency CB, but the effect was negligible (Cohens d < 0.2), and there was no other difference in pain intensity between the conditions. Heart rate variability was higher during SDB with/without load compared with normal‐frequency CB. Using load during SDB was associated with higher heart rate variability, but less favorable emotional responses. These findings do not support the role of baroreceptor stimulation or vagal modulation in the hypoalgesic effects of SDB. Other mechanisms, such as attentional modulation, warrant further investigation. Deep breathing is a common pain self‐management technique, but the mechanisms underlying its hypoalgesic effects are poorly understood. The findings of this experiment do not support the role of baroreceptor stimulation or vagal modulation in the hypoalgesic effects of deep breathing. Other mechanisms, such as attentional modulation, warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pleasant touch reduces psychoemotional stress via the oxytocin mechanism due to its anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Our research is aimed to reveal the correlations between the subjectively perceived pleasantness of touch, the antioxidant potential of saliva, and salivary oxytocin. A total of 56 healthy volunteers aged 18–38 years participated in the study. The control group consisted of 24 volunteers. The participants were subjected to tactile stimulation using a specially designed protocol. They ranked the touch pleasantness on a scale from 1 to 10. Heart rate variability and low‐frequency/high‐frequency ratios from the power spectral density of ECG were determined to assess psychoemotional relaxation. Salivary oxytocin and antioxidant capacity were quantified before and after the touch test. We found a significant increase in salivary antioxidant potential and oxytocin after pleasant tactile stimulation for the participants compared to the control group. The difference in antioxidant capacity values before and after the test positively correlated with mean pleasantness in the touch test (r = 0.57) and the difference in heart rate variability (r = 0.67); it negatively correlated with the difference in low‐frequency/high‐frequency ECG band ratio (r = −0.59). Oxytocin ratio positively correlated with the difference in antioxidant capacity values (r = 0.47). As a result of tactile stimulation, a significant increase in the antioxidant capacity of saliva and salivary oxytocin was found in the test group compared to the control group. These findings support further studies of the effects of pleasant touch on hormonal and oxidative metabolism. A pleasant touch is mediated by oxytocin which exhibits anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We found that pleasant tactile stimulation led to an increase in salivary oxytocin and salivary antioxidants, these effects being correlated with the subjective pleasantness score. These data may be helpful for the development of non‐drug methods for reducing oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theories that psychophysiological reactivity constitutes a risk factor for coronary artery disease assume that reactivity is a consistent individual characteristic. We tested this assumption by measuring reactivity to three psychologically challenging tasks performed by 22 healthy subjects across different autonomic contexts produced by positional change. Dependent variables included heart rate (HR), low-frequency (LF; 0.04-0.15 Hz) and high-frequency (HF; 0.15-0.50 Hz) heart period variability, and the LF/HF ratio. HR (r = .44, p < .05) and LF/HF ratio (r = .48, p = .03) reactivity were modestly correlated across the different autonomic contexts, but HF and LF power reactivity were not. These findings suggest that HR reactivity to psychological challenge is a modestly consistent characteristic of individuals, despite differences in autonomic context. Although the same is true of cardiac sympathovagal balance, reactivity of HF and LF power were less consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In healthy, young individuals, a reduction in cardiovascular output and a shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic (vagal) dominance is observed from wake into stages of nocturnal and daytime sleep. This cardiac autonomic profile, measured by heart rate variability (HRV), has been associated with significant benefits for cardiovascular health. Aging is associated with decreased nighttime sleep quality and lower parasympathetic activity during both sleep and resting. However, it is not known whether age‐related dampening of HRV extends to daytime sleep, diminishing the cardiovascular benefits of naps in the elderly. Here, we investigated this question by comparing the autonomic activity profile between young and older healthy adults during a daytime nap and a similar period of wakefulness (quiet wake; QW). For each condition, from the electrocardiogram (ECG), we obtained beat‐to‐beat HRV intervals (RR), root mean square of successive differences between adjacent heart‐beat‐intervals (RMSSD), high‐frequency (HF), low‐frequency (LF) power, and total power (TP), HF normalized units (HFnu), and the LF/HF ratio. As previously reported, young subjects showed a parasympathetic dominance during NREM, compared with REM, prenap rest, and WASO. Moreover, older, compared to younger, adults showed significantly lower vagally mediated HRV (measured by RMSSD, HF, HFnu) during NREM. Interestingly, however, no age‐related differences were detected during prenap rest or QW. Altogether, our findings suggest a sleep‐specific reduction in parasympathetic modulation that is unique to NREM sleep in older adults. Impact Statement: ANS activity is modulated by both sleep and aging. However, the cardiac profiles during daytime sleep, to our knowledge, have not yet been studied under the context of aging. Herein, youngers demonstrated increased parasympathetic activity, while olders showed less parasympathetic modulation during NREM sleep. No age‐related declines in parasympathetic activity were detected during wake, suggesting an NREM sleep‐specific reduction in parasympathetic modulation with aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep breathing exercises are commonly used for several health conditions including pain and hypertension. Various techniques are available to practice deep breathing, whereas possible differential psychophysiological effects have not been investigated. We compared four deep breathing techniques and examined outcomes in blood pressure variability, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, baroreflex function, and emotional state. Healthy adult volunteers performed pursed‐lips breathing, left and right unilateral nostril breathing, and deep breathing with an inspiratory threshold load (loaded breathing), all at a frequency of 0.1 Hz (i.e., controlled breathing) and for three minutes each. Results showed that blood pressure variability was higher during loaded breathing versus other conditions and higher during pursed‐lips breathing versus left and right unilateral nostril breathing. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia was higher during loaded breathing versus other conditions and higher during pursed‐lips breathing versus left unilateral nostril breathing. The effect of breathing condition on respiratory sinus arrhythmia was mediated by alterations in blood pressure variability. There was no difference between the breathing conditions in baroreflex sensitivity or effectiveness. Participants rated pursed‐lips breathing as more calming and pleasant and with more sense of control (vs. other conditions). Overall, among the four tested deep breathing techniques, loaded breathing was associated with enhanced cardiovascular effects and pursed‐lips breathing with better emotional responses, while also enhancing cardiovascular effects (albeit less than loaded breathing). These findings can be informative in applying deep breathing techniques as self‐management interventions for health conditions, in which baroreceptors stimulation and autonomic and emotional modulations can be beneficial, such as pain and hypertension. Various techniques are used for deep breathing exercise. In this first report, we show how these techniques induce different psychophysiological effects including respiratory, cardiovascular, autonomic, and emotional modulations. Our findings have implications in clinical and experimental studies when such modulations are considered as potential therapeutic targets or mechanisms of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has demonstrated utility for identifying alterations in emotion processing associated with common psychopathology, including depression and anxiety. To date though the majority of this ANS research has several limitations. Most studies have examined parasympathetic and sympathetic branches separately, requiring activity in the other branch be inferred. This is problematic as each branch may function independently. Composite indices such as cardiac autonomic balance (CAB) and cardiac autonomic regulation (CAR) which examine the relative input between respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre‐ejection period (PEP) should provide more comprehensive measures of autonomic functioning and thus stronger predictors of psychopathology. However, the sympathetic branch is driven by multiple neurotransmitter systems, thus PEP does not necessarily reflect overall SNS arousal. We propose two new metrics for assessing ANS functioning associated with psychopathology: parasympathetic effects on cardiac control (RSA) relative to sympathetic effects on the eccrine system (electrodermal activity, EDA), which we term cross‐system autonomic balance (CSAB) and regulation (CSAR). Eighty‐five women (18–37) completed a baseline physiological assessment with parasympathetic (RSA) and sympathetic indices (PEP, EDA), along with self‐reported depressive and anxiety symptoms. Lower CSAB, indicating sympathetic dominance driven by cholinergic neurotransmission, was associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms. Lower CAB indicating sympathetic dominance driven by beta‐adrenergic neurotransmission was associated specifically with depressive symptoms. CSAB was a more robust index than RSA. Results support the utility of assessing multiple composite ANS indices for identifying physiological substrates of alterations in emotion regulation associated with internalizing disorders. Currently only two composite autonomic indices consider the relative contributions between parasympathetic (RSA) and sympathetic (PEP) branches. But sympathetic indices are not necessarily equivalent. We examined the cross‐system contributions of parasympathetic effects on the cardiac control (RSA) and sympathetic effects on the eccrine system (EDA). Cross system autonomic balance was associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms. Comparing autonomic balance across different systems may clarify the alterations in emotion processing associated with internalizing disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) have been individually linked to changes in cognitive functioning: The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) has been associated with healthy cognitive aging, whereas excessive sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity has been linked to heightened cognitive decline. Despite these separate findings and despite the integrative nature of the ANS, little work has examined the two branches simultaneously to better understand their interactive effects on changes in cognitive functioning in midlife adults. We examined cognitive change in two waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study cognitive project and indexed PNS and SNS activity from heart rate variability and epinephrine levels, respectively, from the MIDUS biomarker project (minimum n = 843, 57.9% female, mean age at first wave = 53.8 years). Our findings indicate that greater PNS responsivity (i.e., greater withdrawal and greater recovery) in response to cognitive challenge is associated with attenuated cognitive decline, but only among individuals with low SNS levels; at higher SNS levels, the effects of the PNS on cognitive decline are attenuated. These results suggest that future research targeting the ANS and cognitive aging should consider both ANS branch's effects simultaneously. This article demonstrates that the parasympathetic (PNS) and sympathetic nervous systems (SNS) interactively predict change in cognitive functioning across approximately nine years in a large sample of midlife adults (aged 34–83 at start). PNS (heart rate variability) responses to cognitive challenge were associated with reduced cognitive decline at lower SNS (epinephrine) levels; this association was attenuated at higher SNS levels. Future interventions targeting autonomic functioning as a modifiable risk‐factor for cognitive decline might consider the joint effects of both branches in the early midlife years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the influence of acute psychological stress on selective attention processes. After an acute stressor or a control condition, 20 participants performed an arrow‐based version of the Eriksen flanker task, while ERPs (N1, N2, P3), reaction times, accuracy, subjective stress, and electrocardiogram signal were measured. Results showed elevated self‐report stress, negative affect, state anxiety, heart rate, and reduced high‐frequency heart rate variability in the stress block than in the control block, indicating that the flanker task was performed in a stressful situation. In the flanker task, faster response and larger flanker effect of accuracy were observed for the stress block relative to the control block, indicating increased arousal level and improved conflict detection under stress. Event‐related potentials locked to target stimuli in the flanker task revealed that (a) frontal N1 was amplified in the stress block than in the control block, indicating elevated vigilance level under stress; (b) frontal N2 was increased in the stress block than in the control block for both congruent and incongruent trials, indicating more intensive attention control under stress; and (c) Increased P3 in the stress block than in the control block may reflect more allocation of neural resources as a consequence of improved attentional control under stress. These findings suggest that acute psychological stress increases general alertness and promotes attentional control in selective attention processes. Previous study has found acute physiological stress impairs selective attention processes. However, the impact of stress on cognitive processes might be vary between being beneficial and detrimental, depending on multiple factors (e.g., stressor type or stress intensity). This study aimed to examine the effect of acute psychological stress on the selective attention processes. Electrocardiogram results indicated that the acute psychological stress was successfully evoked. ERP results revealed that acute psychological stress increased general alertness and promoted attentional control in selective attention processes. The selective attention processes might be benefited from acute psychological stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals who frequently experience nightmares report compromised sleep quality, poor daytime mood, and functioning. Previous research has aimed at linking these impairments with altered sleep architecture, but results were inconclusive. One plausible explanation is that only a few studies recorded markers of autonomic nervous system activity. For the first time, this study collected such markers under ecologically valid conditions with ambulatory assessment. In 19 individuals with frequent nightmares (≥1 nightmare/week) and 19 healthy control participants (<1 nightmare/month), measures indicating autonomic activation (heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration cycle length, electrodermal fluctuations, EEG arousals, saliva cortisol, REM density) were collected while applying ambulatory polysomnographic assessment during 3 consecutive nights. When nightmare participants reported a nightmare, we analyzed the last 5 min of REM sleep before awakening and compared these data to their non‐nightmares as well as to the dream episodes of control participants. Overall, there were no general differences in autonomic activation of nightmare sufferers compared to control participants. However, when nightmare participants experienced nightmares, autonomic activation was markedly increased compared to their own non‐nightmares and, to some extent, to control participant's dreams. Significant intraindividual differences were found for all autonomic measures except in participant's EEG arousals and cortisol levels. Group differences were found in EEG arousals and heart rate. In conclusion, ambulatory polysomnography demonstrates that nightmares are accompanied by increased autonomic activation. Results support the notion of impaired self‐reported sleep quality caused by one's autonomic response rather than altered sleep pattern. Research on the psychophysiology of nightmares is scarce, and conclusions are restricted to data from sleep laboratory. Using ambulatory multimeasure assessment including polysomnography, we maximized ecological validity. A wide range of markers indicates increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic activation accompanying nightmares. This unique ambulatory assessment can contribute to a major advance in sleep research. It provides methods to quantify the physiological and emotional impact of nightmares. Our findings provide evidence for potential mechanisms underlying the impaired sleep quality in those who suffer from nightmares. Also, the need for adequate treatment of nightmares in order to maintain healthy sleep becomes evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Maintaining optimal performance in demanding situations is challenged by stress‐induced alterations in performance. Here, we quantified the stress of nuclear power plant (NPP) operators (N = 20) during a full‐scale simulator training for incident and accident scenarios. We compared the ambulatory electrocardiography measurements of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), and self‐reported stress during baselines and simulated scenarios. Perceived (scale 0–10) and physiologically measured stress were low during baseline after the scenarios and normal NPP operation (means 1.8–2.2, mean HR 75–80 bpm). During a cognitively challenging scenario simulating a sensor malfunction, the operators' stress was mild to moderate (mean 3.4; HR + 12% from baseline). During simulations of severe accidents of fire and radioactive steam leakage, the experienced stress and cardiac activity were on a moderate to high level (means 4.2 and 4.6; HR + 23% and + 14% from baseline, respectively). Cardiac activity paralleled the self‐reported stress: correlation of self‐reported stress to HR was 0.61 (p < .001) and to HRV features RMSSD, HF, LF/HF, SD1, and SD1/SD2 were −0.26, −0.28, 0.35, −0.40, and −0.39 (p < .01), respectively. The low shared variance (22%) between HR and physical activity further support the interpretation that the cardiac activity was strongly linked to the experience of stress and not accountable by operators' movement within the simulator. Cardiac measurements in naturalistic settings can thus reveal relevant information on acute stress with the benefit of not interrupting the primary task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Heart rate variability (HRV) is a psychophysiological phenomenon with broad implications, providing an accessible index of vagal function, underpinning psychological constructs, including the capacity for social engagement and emotion regulation, and may predict future morbidity and mortality. However, the lack of reference values for short‐term HRV indices for participants of both sexes across the age spectrum is a limiting factor. This was the objective of the present study. Resting electrocardiographic records were obtained from 13,214 participants (both sexes, 35–74 years), and HRV indices in time and frequency domains (mean ± SD) were determined from 5‐min records. Results were based on a subsample of 2,874 nonmedicated, healthy participants stratified by sex across 10‐year age groupings. Men showed lower heart rate (HR, 64 ± 8 bpm vs. 68 ± 8 bpm, p < .05) and normalized high frequency (HF; 39.4 ± 18.0 normalized units [n.u.] vs. 50.4 ± 18.5 n.u., p < .05) than women, and higher N‐N variance (2,214 ± 1,890 ms2 vs. 1,883 ± 1,635 ms2, p < .05), standard deviation of all N‐N intervals (SDNN; 43.7 ± 17.3 ms vs. 40.3 ± 15.8 ms, p < .05) and LF/HF (2.30 ± 2.68 vs. 1.33 ± 1.82, p < .05). HR and HF (n.u.) were also higher in younger than older women. LF/HF was lower in women than men. Percentile curves showed almost all HRV indices decreasing with aging. The availability of short‐term, resting‐state HRV reference values in a large sample of healthy and nonmedicated participants from 35–74 years will provide a valuable tool for researchers, clinicians, and those in the quantified‐self community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of meditation on arterial and tissue oxygenation are unknown and difficult to assess because respiration is often altered, directly or indirectly, during meditation practice. Thus, changes in respiration may affect cardiovascular responses independently from meditation. In this study, we aim to isolate the specific effect of meditation on arterial and tissue oxygenation and other cardiorespiratory indexes while systematically controlling for the role of respiration. Furthermore, we aim to clarify to what extent prior expertise in meditation practice is needed to observe reliable changes. Eighty participants, half with and half without prior meditation experience, were tested while pacing breathing at predetermined rates, in the presence or absence of mantra meditation instructions, and in a body scan meditation that did not involve controlled breathing. Continuous recordings were acquired for arterial and brain oxygenation, respiratory excursion, electrocardiogram, skin vasomotion, and blood pressure. In both groups, meditation acutely decreased arterial and cerebral oxygen saturation, reduced chemoreflex sensitivity, and prolonged the RR interval, independently of respiration. Conversely, slow breathing improved heart rate variability, independently of concurrent meditation. In addition to the immediate effects of meditation, the individuals with long-term practice of meditation had overall higher arterial and cerebral oxygen saturation, overall lower blood pressure, and slower baseline respiration. Meditation acutely lowers arterial and tissue oxygenation. A repeated exposure to this condition may lead to long-term adaptation and, through increased ventilatory efficiency and improved gas exchanges, to an increase in baseline oxygenation. Meditation induces favorable changes in cardiovascular and respiratory end points of clinical interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alexithymia is associated with deficiencies in recognizing and expressing emotions and impaired emotion regulation, though few studies have verified the latter assertion using objective measures. This study examined startle reflex modulation by fearful imagery and its associations with heart rate variability in alexithymia. Fifty-four adults (27 alexithymic) imagined previously normed fear scripts. Startle responses were assessed during baseline, first exposure, and reexposure. During first exposure, participants, in separate trials, engaged in either shallow or deep emotion processing, giving emphasis on descriptive or affective aspects of imagery, respectively. Resting heart rate variability was assessed during 2 min of rest prior to the experiment, with high alexithymic participants demonstrating significantly higher LF/HF (low frequency/high frequency) ratio than controls. Deep processing was associated with nonsignificantly larger and faster startle responses at first exposure for alexithymic participants. Lower LF/HF ratio, reflecting higher parasympathetic cardiac activity, predicted greater startle amplitude habituation for alexithymia but lower habituation for controls. Results suggest that, when exposed to prolonged threat, alexithymics may adjust poorly, showing a smaller initial defensive response but slower habituation. This pattern seems related to their low emotion regulation ability as indexed by heart rate variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance and injury prevention in elite soccer players are typically investigated from physical-tactical, biomechanical, and metabolic perspectives. However, executive functions, visuospatial abilities, and psychophysiological adaptability or resilience are also fundamental for efficiency and well-being in sports. Based on previous research associating autonomic flexibility with prefrontal cortical control, we designed a novel integrated autonomic biofeedback training method called Neuroplus to improve resilience, visual attention, and injury prevention. Herein, we introduce the method and provide an evaluation of 20 elite soccer players from the Italian Soccer High Division (Serie-A): 10 players trained with Neuroplus and 10 trained with a control treatment. The assessments included psychophysiological stress profiles, a visual search task, and indexes of injury prevention, which were measured pre- and posttreatment. The analysis showed a significant enhancement of physiological adaptability, recovery following stress, visual selective attention, and injury prevention that were specific to the Neuroplus group. Enhancing the interplay between autonomic and cognitive functions through biofeedback may become a key principle for obtaining excellence and well-being in sports. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that shows improvement in visual selective attention following intense autonomic biofeedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In healthy individuals, a reduction in cardiovascular output and a shift to parasympathetic/vagal dominant activity is observed across nocturnal sleep. This cardiac autonomic profile, often measured by heart rate variability (HRV), has been associated with significant benefits for the cardiovascular system. However, little is known about the autonomic profile during daytime sleep. Here, we investigated the autonomic profile and short-term reliability of HRV during daytime naps in 66 healthy young adults. Participants took an 80-120 min polysomnographically recorded nap at 1:30 pm. Beat-by-beat RR interval values (RR), high (HF) and low frequency (LF) power, total power (TP), HF normalized units (HFnu), and the LF/HF ratio were obtained for 5 min during presleep wakefulness and during nap sleep stages (N2, N3, REM). A subsample of 37 participants took two additional naps with 2 weeks between recordings. We observed lengthening of the RR, higher HF and HFnu, and lower LF/HF during NREM, compared with REM and wake, and a marked reduction of LF and TP during N3. Intraclass correlation coefficients highlighted a short-term stability of RR and HF ranging across sleep stages between 0.52-0.76 and 0.52-0.80, respectively. Our results suggest that daytime napping in healthy young adults is associated with dynamic changes in the autonomic profile, similar to those seen during nocturnal sleep. Moreover, a reliable intraindividual measure of autonomic cardiac activity can be obtained by just a single daytime nap depending on specific parameters and recording purposes. Nap methodology may be a new and promising tool to explore sleep-dependent, autonomic fluctuations in healthy and at-risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring autonomic nervous system (ANS) changes during hypnosis is critical for understanding the nature and extent of the hypnotic phenomenon and for identifying the mechanisms underlying the effects of hypnosis in different medical conditions. To assess ANS changes during hypnosis, electrodermal activity and pulse rate variability (PRV) were measured in 121 young adults. Participants either received hypnotic induction (hypnosis condition) or listened to music (control condition), and both groups were exposed to test suggestions. Blocks of silence and experimental sound stimuli were presented at baseline, after induction, and after de-induction. Skin conductance level (SCL) and high frequency (HF) power of PRV measured at each phase were compared between groups. Hypnosis decreased SCL compared to the control condition; however, there were no group differences in HF power. Furthermore, hypnotic suggestibility did not moderate ANS changes in the hypnosis group. These findings indicate that hypnosis reduces tonic sympathetic nervous system activity, which might explain why hypnosis is effective in the treatment of disorders with strong sympathetic nervous system involvement, such as rheumatoid arthritis, hot flashes, hypertension, and chronic pain. Further studies with different control conditions are required to examine the specificity of the sympathetic effects of hypnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that resting heart rate variability (HRV) is modified by different phases of the menstrual cycle in nonusers of oral contraceptive pills (OCP); however, the effect of OCP on autonomic control of the heart remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate HRV during the low hormone (LH-not taking OCP) and during the high hormone (HH-active OCP use) phases of the menstrual cycle in young women. Seventeen healthy women (19-31 years) taking OCP for at least 6 consecutive months were enrolled in this study. Plasma estradiol and progesterone were verified at each visit. HRV was assessed by using one-lead electrocardiography in time and frequency domains, in which participants rested in the supine position for a 20-min period with a breathing rate of 15 cycles/min. In addition, resting heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were obtained. Both plasma estradiol (LH: 19.8 ± 4.2 pg/mL vs. HH: 12.4 ± 1.5 pg/mL; p > .05) and progesterone (LH: 0.247 ± 0.58 ng/mL vs. HH: 0.371 ± 0.08 ng/mL; p > .05) (mean ± SE) levels were similar in both phases. No significant difference was obtained for any component of HRV, heart rate, or blood pressure between the LH and HH phases ( p > .05). These results provide preliminary evidence that use of OCP does not affect HRV during the menstrual cycle in healthy women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms, but PTSD's effects on the autonomic stress response and the potential influence of HRV biofeedback in stress relaxation training on improving PTSD symptoms are not well understood. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of a predeployment stress inoculation training (PRESTINT) protocol on physiologic measures of HRV in a large sample of the military population randomly assigned to experimental HRV biofeedback-assisted relaxation training versus a control condition. PRESTINT altered the parasympathetic regulation of cardiac activity, with experimental subjects exhibiting greater HRV, that is, less arousal, during a posttraining combat simulation designed to heighten arousal. Autonomic reactivity was also found to be related to PTSD and self-reported use of mental health services. Future PRESTINT training could be appropriate for efficiently teaching self-help skills to reduce the psychological harm following trauma exposure by increasing the capacity for parasympathetically modulated reactions to stress and providing a coping tool (i.e., relaxation method) for use following a stressful situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional state (i.e., fasting or nonfasting) may affect the processing of interoceptive signals, but mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. We investigated 16 healthy women on two separate days: when satiated (standardized food intake) and after an 18-h food deprivation period. On both days, heartbeat-evoked potentials ( HEPs) and cardiac and autonomic nervous system activation indices (heart rate, normalized low frequency heart rate variability [ nLF HRV]) were assessed. The HEP is an EEG pattern that is considered an index of cortical representation of afferent cardiovascular signals. Average HEP activity ( R wave +455-595 ms) was enhanced during food deprivation compared to normal food intake. Cardiac activation did not differ between nutritional conditions. Our results indicate that short-term food deprivation amplifies an electrophysiological correlate of the cortical representation of visceral-afferent signals originating from the cardiovascular system. This effect could not be attributed to increased cardiac activation, as estimated by heart rate and nLF HRV, after food deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No studies have evaluated the dynamic, time-varying relationship between delta electroencephalographic ( EEG) sleep and high frequency heart rate variability ( HF- HRV) in women. Delta EEG and HF- HRV were measured during sleep in 197 midlife women ( Mage = 52.1, SD = 2.2). Delta EEG- HF- HRV correlations in nonrapid eye movement ( NREM) sleep were modeled as whole-night averages and as continuous functions of time. The whole-night delta EEG- HF- HRV correlation was positive. The strongest correlations were observed during the first NREM sleep period preceding and following peak delta power. Time-varying correlations between delta EEG- HF- HRV were stronger in participants with sleep-disordered breathing and self-reported insomnia compared to healthy controls. The dynamic interplay between sleep and autonomic activity can be modeled across the night to examine within- and between-participant differences including individuals with and without sleep disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimated the heritability of 24-h heart rate variability ( HRV) measures, while considering ceiling effects on HRV at low heart rates during the night. HRV was indexed by the standard deviation of all valid interbeat intervals ( SDNN), the root mean square of differences between valid, successive interbeat intervals ( RMSSD), and peak-valley respiratory sinus arrhythmia ( pvRSA). Sleep and waking levels of cardiac vagal control were assessed in 1,003 twins and 285 of their non-twin siblings. Comparable heritability estimates were found for SDNN (46%-53%), RMSSD (49%-54%), and pvRSA (48%-57%) during the day and night. A nighttime ceiling effect was revealed in 10.7% of participants by a quadratic relationship between mean pvRSA and the interbeat interval. Excluding these participants did not change the heritability estimates. The genetic factors influencing ambulatory pvRSA, RMSSD, and SDNN largely overlap. These results suggest that gene-finding studies may pool the different cardiac vagal indices and that exclusion of participants with low heart rates is not required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological pain is a prominent symptom in people who experience depression, but its relation with physiological measures has not been explored. This study compared two measures of psychological pain, the Orbach & Mikulincer Mental Pain ( OMMP) questionnaire and the Psychache Scale, for their relationship with resting-state heart rate variability ( HRV) in 35 adults with a history of depression. Low-frequency HRV decreased significantly with increasing psychological pain, particularly in participants who did not use antidepressants, while the beat-to-beat fractal dimension decreased in participants who did use antidepressants. Neither heart rate nor high-frequency HRV was associated with psychological pain. These results suggest a state of arousal characterized by increased sympathetic activity. Results also indicate that the OMMP may be a more accurate measure of autonomic arousal associated with current psychological pain than the Psychache Scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in heart rate variability ( HRV) at 'respiratory' frequencies (0.15-0.5 Hz) may result from changes in respiration rather than autonomic control. We now investigate if the differences in HRV power in the low-frequency ( LF) band (0.05-0.15 Hz, HRVLF) can also be predicted by respiration variability, quantified by the fraction of tidal volume power in the LF ( VLF,n). Three experimental protocols were considered: paced breathing, mental effort tasks, and a repeated attentional task. Significant intra- and interindividual correlations were found between changes in HRVLF and VLF,n despite all subjects having a respiratory frequency above the LF band. Respiratory parameters (respiratory period, tidal volume, and VLF,n) could predict up to 79% of HRVLF differences in some cases. This suggests that respiratory variability is another mechanism of HRVLF generation, which should be always monitored, assessed, and considered in the interpretation of HRV changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short sleep has been related to incident cardiovascular disease, but physiological mechanisms accounting for this relationship are largely unknown. This study examines sleep duration and cardiovascular stress responses in 79 healthy, young men. Sleep duration was assessed by wrist actigraphy for seven nights. Participants then completed a series of laboratory stress tasks while heart rate and blood pressure were monitored. Shorter total sleep time was related to a greater reduction in high-frequency heart rate variability during stress tasks, and to prolonged elevations in heart rate and diastolic pressure following tasks. Associations were independent of age, race, body mass index, caffeine intake, and smoking status. In sum, healthy young men with shorter actigraphy-assessed sleep exhibit less cardiac vagal activity, and poorer heart rate and diastolic blood pressure recovery, upon encountering stressful stimuli, than those with longer sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical internship is known to be a time of high stress and long working hours, which increases the risk of depression and cardiovascular disease. Gender differences in medical interns' cardiovascular risk have not been reported previously. Thirty-eight medical interns (29 males) were repeatedly tested for depressive symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and 5-min spectral analysis of heart rate variability ( HRV) at 3-month intervals during their internship. Among the male interns, the variance of the heart rate decreased at 6, 9, 12 months, and a reduced high frequency, which suggests reduced cardiac parasympathetic modulation, was found at 9 and 12 months into their internship. Increased depressive symptoms were also identified at 12 months in the male group. No significant differences in depression or any of the HRV indices were identified among the female interns during their internship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates the suitability of low frequency ( LF) heart rate variability ( HRV) as an index of sympathetic cardiac control and the LF/high frequency ( HF) ratio as an index of autonomic balance. It includes a comprehensive literature review and a reanalysis of some previous studies on autonomic cardiovascular regulation. The following sources of evidence are addressed: effects of manipulations affecting sympathetic and vagal activity on HRV, predictions of group differences in cardiac autonomic regulation from HRV, relationships between HRV and other cardiac parameters, and the theoretical and mathematical bases of the concept of autonomic balance. Available data challenge the interpretation of the LF and LF/ HF ratio as indices of sympathetic cardiac control and autonomic balance, respectively, and suggest that the HRV power spectrum, including its LF component, is mainly determined by the parasympathetic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been recently reported in Psychophysiology that carriers of the short allele of an insertion/deletion (ins/del) functional polymorphism in the promoter region ( 5- HTTLPR) of the serotonin transporter gene may display decreased resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia ( RSA). However, this region hosts another functionally connected single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs25531), which should also be genotyped in order to correctly categorize the low- and high-expressing alleles of 5- HTTLPR. The present study investigated resting RSA in an ethnically homogenous sample ( N = 143) of participants genotyped for both the ins/del and rs25531 polymorphisms in 5- HTTLPR. In contrast with the biallelic genotypes, based only on the ins/del alleles, the triallelic 5- HTTLPR genotypes (i.e., including rs25531) showed no association with resting RSA. Taking a triallelic approach to 5- HTTLPR is thus necessary in order to avoid false positive results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts related to psychophysiology which include "The Modification of Non-Defensive Reflex Response During Affective Picture Viewing," by Suvi Karla and Colleagues, "Emotion System Coherence Flexibility in Social Context," by Cristina Gatti and Mark Geisler, and "Impaired Cardiovascular Functioning in Obese Participants," by Ashley E. Burch and Michael T. Allen.

Vasovagal reactions ( VVR) are common, complicating and deterring people from various medical procedures. A recent perspective ( R. R. Diehl, ) suggests that VVR developed from the adaptive process of hemorrhagic fainting, perhaps as a means of preparing for anticipated blood loss. The primary goal of this study was to compare vasovagal symptoms during intravenous-injection and blood-draw videos. Sixty-two young adults watched the videos. Vasovagal symptoms were assessed with self-report, blood pressure, and heart rate variability. As predicted, participants reported more vasovagal symptoms and anxiety following the blood-draw video. Sympathetic nervous system activity (low- to high-frequency ratio) decreased during both videos but significantly more during the blood-draw video, although this could be reversed by the Applied Tension technique. Results are discussed in terms of the relevance of specific stimuli and emotions in VVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts related to psychophysiology which include the impact in depression of distraction and rumination, the association of blunted neural reactivity and self monitoring with schizophrenia, and the abnormal responses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients to the sensory environment.

The association between defensiveness and physiological responses to stress were evaluated in 81 healthy working men and 118 women, aged 20 to 64 years ( M=41; SD=11.45). Participants underwent laboratory testing during which they were exposed to interpersonal stressors. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure (BP), and salivary cortisol were measured. Defensiveness was evaluated using the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. In women, higher defensiveness was associated with greater BP and HR reactivity to stress ( p<.05). In older men, lower defensiveness was associated with increased systolic BP reactivity to stress ( p<.02), delayed HRV recovery ( p<.02), and greater salivary cortisol levels ( p<.02). In conclusion, greater defensiveness was associated with increased reactivity to stress in women whereas in older men, lower defensiveness was associated with elevated cardiovascular, autonomic, and endocrine responses to stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested whether the heritability of heart rate variability (HRV) under stress is different from rest and its dependency on ethnicity or gender. HRV indexed by root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and high-frequency (HF) power was measured at rest and during 3 stressors in 427 European and 308 African American twins. No ethnic or gender differences were found for any measures. There was a nonsignificant increase in heritability of RMSSD (from 0.48 to 0.58) and HF (from 0.50 to 0.58) under stress. Up to 81% and 60% of the heritabilities of RMSSD and HF under stress could be attributed to genes influencing rest levels. The heritabilities due to genes expressed under stress were 0.11 for RMSSD and 0.23 for HF. The findings suggest that, independent of ethnicity and gender, HRV regulation at rest and under stress is largely influenced by the same genes with a small but significant contribution of stress-specific genetic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been hypothesized that the ratio of heart rate variability in the low- (LF) and high- (HF) frequency bands may capture variation in cardiac sympathetic control. Here we tested the temporal stability of the LF/HF ratio in 24-h ambulatory recordings and compared this ratio to the preejection period (PEP), an established measure of cardiac sympathetic control. Good temporal stability was found across a period of 3.3 years (.46< r<.78), but the LF/HF ratio did not show the expected negative correlation to PEP, either between or within subjects. We conclude that the evidence to support the LF/HF ratio as a potential marker of cardiac sympathetic control in epidemiology-scaled research is currently insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart rate variability (HRV) supports emotion regulation and is reduced by alcohol. Based on the resonance properties of the cardiovascular system, a new 0.1-Hz methodology was developed to present emotional stimuli and assess HRV reaction in participants ( N=36) randomly assigned to an alcohol, placebo, or control condition. Blocked picture cues (negative, positive, neutral) were presented at a rate of 5 s on, 5 s off (i.e., 0.1-Hz frequency). SDNN, pNN50, and HF HRV were reduced by alcohol, compared to the placebo and control. The 0.1-Hz HRV index was diminished by alcohol and placebo, suggesting that autonomic regulation can be affected by cognitive expectancy. The 0.1-Hz HRV index and pNN50 detected changes in arousal during emotional compared to neutral cues, and the 0.1-Hz HRV index was most sensitive to negative valence. The 0.1-Hz HRV methodology may be useful for studying the intersection of cognition, emotion, and autonomic regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of autonomic balance views autonomic states along a bipolar continuum from sympathetic (S) to parasympathetic (P) dominance, whereas regulatory capacity models emphasize overall autonomic flexibility as a marker of the capacity for regulation. These two concepts were evaluated for their utility in characterizing patterns of autonomic control. Measures of P (high frequency heart rate variability, HF) and S (preejection period, PEP) cardiac control were obtained. A measure of cardiac autonomic balance (CAB) was derived as the difference in the normalized P index minus the S index, and a measure of cardiac autonomic regulation (CAR) was derived as the normalized P index plus the S index. Results reveal that CAR, but not CAB, was a significant predictor of the prior occurrence of a myocardial infarction, net of demographic and other variables, whereas CAB, but not CAR, was a significant predictor of concurrent diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High dietary sodium intake is a risk factor for hypertension, and heart rate variability (HRV) is decreased in hypertension. Effects of dietary sodium intake on HRV of normotensive persons have not, however, been investigated to date. The present study examined effects of low and high sodium diets on blood pressure, heart rate, and HRV in 36 healthy, normotensive women, ages 40–70. Each was placed on a low sodium diet for 6 days followed by a high sodium diet for 6 days. The high salt diet increased mean systolic blood pressure, decreased heart rate, and increased high frequency HRV (HF). Cardiac vagal tone, estimated at baseline from heart period and a time domain estimate of respiratory sinus arrhythmia, was higher in salt-sensitive than salt-insensitive subjects. The finding of increased vagal tone in normotensive persons on high salt intake indicates that dietary sodium status should be considered in behavioral studies of HRV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent psychobiological theory postulates a dopaminergic basis for the agency facet of extraversion, leading to the prediction that this personality trait modulates the psychophysiological effects of dopaminergic drugs. A single dose of the dopamine D2 receptor agonist bromocriptine reduces blood pressure in healthy volunteers. However, it is currently unknown whether this hypotensive effect of bromocriptine is modulated by agentic extraversion. Therefore, we measured resting cardiovascular activation in groups of healthy male volunteers either high or low in agentic extraversion, either under bromocriptine (1.25 mg) or placebo. Focusing the analyses on activation components derived from 18 cardiovascular variables, we found that bromocriptine reduces alpha-adrenergic activation in the sample as a whole, whereas the effects on beta-adrenergic and cholinergic activation are modulated by agentic extraversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Heart rate variability (HRV) provides reliable tools to assess the integrity and reactivity of autonomic nervous function. Our aim was to examine HRV in the resting condition and during different mental loads in acute psychosis compared to healthy controls. HRV was measured in 17 first-episode drug-naive patients with psychosis and 21 healthy controls during oddball tasks and while performing the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. A discrete event series was constructed by an adaptive QRS detector algorithm and power spectrum estimation was carried out. The RMSSD (representing interval differences of successive heartbeats) and the amount of high frequency (HF) power were significantly reduced in patients. Moreover, the patients' HRV remained unaltered during the tasks, whereas in controls the HRV diminished with increasing mental load of the task. Patients with psychosis displayed less short-term HR reactivity than healthy controls. They also failed to adapt HRV according to the task-connected strain. Acute psychosis is characterized by a limited capacity to respond to external demands at the level of autonomic nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of papers to be presented at the 42nd annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research to be held in Washington, D.C. on October 2 to 6, 2002. These include "Is Well-Being Protective?: Links Between Eudaimonic and Hedonic Well-Being and Allostatic Load," "Effects of Mood Induction on Startle Modulation By Social Threat in Individuals With and Without a History of Depression" and "Neural Circuitry in Positive Emotion: Maternal Love and Well-Being."