Point:Counterpoint: Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is due to a central mechanism vs. respiratory sinus arrhythmia is due to the baroreflex mechanism

Abstract

Blood pressure and heart periods fluctuate at respiratory frequencies in healthy humans. Some researchers ([8][1], [23][2]) explain this as a cause-and-effect relation: blood pressure changes trigger baroreflex-mediated R-R interval changes. Here I make the case that respiratory sinus arrhythmia is