Clinical and Experimental Evaluation of Sympatho-Vagal Interaction: Power Spectral Analysis of Heart Rate and Arterial Pressure Variabilities
Irving H. Zucker, Joseph P. Gilmore in Reflex Control of the Circulation, 2020
Attempting some evaluation of this ongoing work, the HF component of heart rate variability appears as a widely accepted marker of vagal tone. In addition, we propose the LF component of arterial pressure variability as the primary marker of sympathetic tone. In fact, we note the following points: (i) The vascular smooth muscle is under a sympathetic regulation, while both parasympathetic and sympathetic activities influence the sinus-node rhythmical properties, (ii) There are circumstances such as various levels of physical exercise during which the LF pressure oscillations are increased from resting values (Furlan et al., 1987; Pagani et al., 1988a) even at a time when the total heart rate variability is drastically reduced (Baselli et al., 1987) and the LF component difficult to discern (Arai et al., 1989). (iii) While LF arterial pressure oscillations can clearly occur in absence of any heart rate variability, as proven by studies in patients with fixed-rate pacemakers (Pagani et al., work in progress), the inverse has not yet been observed, i.e., the presence of LF component in heart rate variability in absence of a similar component in arterial pressure variability.
Co-ordinated cardiovascular responses
Neil Herring, David J. Paterson in Levick's Introduction to Cardiovascular Physiology, 2018
Resting ventricular EDV in endurance-trained athletes increases from ~120 mL to 160-220 mL, due to eccentric hypertrophy, an increase in blood volume and an increase in CVP. Resting stroke volume increases from 70-80 mL to 100-125 mL. Resting cardiac output is unchanged because the high stroke volume is offset by a resting bradycardia of 40-50 min−1, or in extreme cases 35 min−1. The resting bradycardia is brought about by three factors: increased tonic vagal activity; increased local acetylcholine release (mediated by a nitric oxide (No) pathway in the fibre terminals); and a fall in the intrinsic pacemaker rate. Sinus arrhythmia is enhanced by the increased vagal tone. A third and fourth heart sound may be audible, along with a benign systolic ejection murmur. The electrocardiogram shows a resting bradycardia. Mean BP is little changed.
Applied Physiology and Biochemistry
Elizabeth Combeer in The Final FRCA Short Answer Questions, 2019
Loss of autonomic innervation: Loss of vagal tone. Resting heart rate is 90–100/minute due to ongoing effect of circulating catecholamines.The heart rate response to intraoperative triggers such as laryngoscopy, pain, or light anaesthesia is lost.Loss of baroreceptor reflex: if systemic vascular resistance drops due to anaesthetic drugs, there is no compensatory heart rate increase. Starling’s law therefore determines cardiac output – it is therefore important to maintain preload.
Psychobiological evidence of the stress resilience fostering properties of a cosmetic routine
Published in Stress, 2021
A. Sgoifo, L. Carnevali, E. Pattini, A. Carandina, G. Tanzi, C. Del Canale, P. Goi, M. B. De Felici del Giudice, B. De Carne, M. Fornari, B. Gavazzoli, L. Poisa, D. Manzoni, D. Bollati
The observed acute increase of parasympathetic modulation at the level of the heart – as signaled by increased HF index scores - bears important prevention and treatment implications, in view of the broadly acknowledged evidence that decreased HRV is a risk factor for all-cause morbidity and mortality (Norman et al., 2012; Tsuji et al., 1994) Indeed, several physiologic systems that are important for stress, health, and disease have been linked to vagal function and HRV, including glucose regulation pathways, HPA axis function, and a number of allostatic systems (Thayer & Lane, 2009). In other words, enhanced vagal tone is an indicator of cardiac health, representing behavioral and physiological flexibility of an organism, as well as its ability to adapt in response to stress. Substantial vagal tone reduction is a marker of decreased behavioral, physiological and stress response flexibility (Porges, 1995). The present study suggests that a cosmetic routine that blends aromatherapy with mindful massage, through its capacity to acutely regulate HRV and potentiate the vagal component of autonomic neural regulation, might possibly represent an interesting tool for preventing or reversing stress-related psychosomatic and psychological dysfunctions. Needless to say that the potential usefulness of this stress relief approach is further supported by its application easiness.
Childhood Maltreatment, Self-esteem, and Suicidal Ideation in a Low-SES Emerging Adult Sample: The Moderating Role of Heart Rate Variability
Published in Archives of Suicide Research, 2019
Erinn Bernstein Duprey, Assaf Oshri, Sihong Liu
Although the benefit of emotion regulation in attenuating suicidal ideation and behavior has been documented, a methodological concern exists due to the predominant use of self-report measures. Advances in psychophysiological research suggest that bias in measurement can be reduced by using an index of vagal tone to operationalize emotion regulation (Beauchaine, 2015). The vagus nerve is a key component of the parasympathetic nervous system. Vagal tone refers to the activity of this nerve that promotes physiological homeostasis (Porges, 1995). According to the model of neurovisceral integration (Thayer & Lane, 2000), healthy and appropriate responses to emotional stimuli require the functioning of circuitry throughout the central nervous system that control cognitive, behavioral, and affective inhibition. This inhibitory circuitry consists of various cortical and subcortical pathways that are ultimately responsible for the mediation of physiological responses to emotion-provoking stimuli (Thayer & Brosschot, 2005). Parasympathetic influence on the heart via the vagus nerve is one of the primary outputs of these inhibitory circuits. Accordingly, Thayer and Lane (2000) propose that cardiac vagal tone can be used to index this inhibitory physiological response. Empirical research has provided support for the high frequeny component of heart rate variability (HF HRV) as an index of cardiac vagal tone and consequently of emotion regulation (Appelhans & Luecken, 2006; Beauchaine, 2015). Thus, by utilizing HF HRV, researchers can measure vagal nerve input to the heart (Porges, 2001). High vagal tone and consequently higher HF HRV are considered to reflect greater physiological ability to regulate ones’ emotions (Thayer & Brosschot, 2005).
Allostatic load and mental health: a latent class analysis of physiological dysregulation
Published in Stress, 2021
Jason T. Carbone
Porges (1995, 2001) introduced Polyvagal Theory as a means of explaining the relationship between parasympathetic nervous system functioning and behavior. Specifically, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (i.e. high-frequency heart rate variability) is utilized as a measure of parasympathetic nervous system functioning, often referred to as vagal tone (Porges, 1995, 2001). While certain fundamental components and assumptions of Polyvagal Theory as they relate to human evolution have been disputed (see Grossman & Taylor, 2007), parasympathetic nervous system functioning as operationalized by measures of heart rate variability (HRV) continues to be an area of intense and diverse research. In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 150 case-control and treatment studies, Alvares et al. (2016) found that HRV among individuals with psychiatric disorders was statistically significantly lower than controls without psychiatric disorders. In addition, while each of the other subgroups (mood disorder, anxiety disorder, and substance dependence) were statistically significantly different from the control group, individuals with psychotic disorders had the largest effect size (Hedges g = −0.952, 95% CI −1.105, −0.800, p < 0.00). Brown et al. (2018) completed two meta-analyses, one of clinical trials and the other of community studies, to assess the association between HRV and depression among older adults and found that decreased HRV was associated with increased levels of depression. Specifically, low-frequency HRV, but not high-frequency HRV, was associated with depression. In all, the current state of research suggests that a more nuanced conceptualization and operationalization of parasympathetic nervous system functioning may be necessary to better understand this system’s role in mental health outcomes.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Autonomic Nervous System
- Gastrointestinal Tract
- Heart Rate
- Lung
- Heart
- Blood Vessel
- Vasodilation
- Parasympathetic Nervous System
- Vagus Nerve
- Cranial Nerves