High-frequency Heart Rate Variability Research Articles

Caregivers' physiological responses during toddler vaccinations: associations with psychological and behavioral responses.

This study investigated biological, psychological, and behavioral aspects of caregivers' responses to toddlers' pain-related distress by measuring caregivers' high-frequency heart rate variability (HRV) responses during toddler vaccination pain and examining associations with caregivers' behavioral responses and psychological stress. Participants included caregiver-toddler dyads (N = 194) from a longitudinal cohort-sequential study who were observed during toddlers' 12-, 18-, or 24-month routine vaccinations. Changes in caregiver HRV were analyzed using growth curve modeling. Conditional growth curve models examined associations between caregiver HRV and caregivers' concurrent behavior and psychological stress. The unconditional growth curve model indicated a slight linear decrease in caregiver HRV (i.e., vagal withdrawal) across the 3 min post-needle (unstandardized B = -0.06, p = .049). In conditional growth curve models, higher levels of parenting stress were associated with less vagal withdrawal during the post-needle period (standardized B = 0.47, unstandardized B = 0.02, p = .003). Caregivers' behavioral responses (i.e., use of soothing and distress-promoting behaviors), state anxiety, and general anxiety symptomology were not significantly associated with HRV responses. Caregiver parasympathetic nervous system activity levels changed minimally from baseline to post-needle and decreased slightly across the post-needle period. Caregivers' self-reported parenting stress was associated with their parasympathetic responses to the procedure. Findings support an improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying caregivers' responses to children's pain-related distress in a naturalistic setting.

Executive functions in older adults with generalised anxiety disorder and healthy controls: Associations with heart rate variability, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and physical fitness

Executive functions (EF) decline with age and this decline in older adults with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) may be influenced by heart rate variability (HRV), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and physical fitness. Understanding these relationships is important for tailored treatments in this population. In this study, 51 adults with GAD (M age = 66.46, SD = 4.08) and 51 healthy controls (M age = 67.67, SD = 4.04) were assessed on cognitive inhibition (Stroop task), shifting (Trails part 4), flexibility (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test – Perseverative errors), working memory (Digit Span Backwards), IQ (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence), high frequency HRV, serum mature BDNF levels, and VO2 max. Results indicated that participants with GAD exhibited better cognitive inhibition compared to controls, with no general reduction in EF. Cognitive inhibition was predicted by gender, HRV, and BDNF levels, while cognitive shifting was predicted by gender and IQ, and cognitive flexibility and working memory by IQ. The enhanced cognitive inhibition in GAD participants might stem from maladaptive use of this function, characteristic of GAD, or protection from EF decline due to normal HRV. Increased BDNF levels, possibly due to good fitness, or compensatory mechanisms related to the disorder, might also play a role. These findings highlight the complexity of EF and related mechanisms in GAD, highlighting the need for interventions that consider both cognitive and physiological factors for optimal outcomes.

Linking brain-heart interactions to emotional arousal in immersive virtual reality.

The subjective experience of emotions is linked to the contextualized perception and appraisal of changes in bodily (e.g., heart) activity. Increased emotional arousal has been related to attenuated high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), lower EEG parieto-occipital alpha power, and higher heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP) amplitudes. We studied emotional arousal-related brain-heart interactions using immersive virtual reality (VR) for naturalistic yet controlled emotion induction. Twenty-nine healthy adults (13 women, age: 26 ± 3) completed a VR experience that included rollercoasters while EEG and ECG were recorded. Continuous emotional arousal ratings were collected during a video replay immediately after. We analyzed emotional arousal-related changes in HF-HRV as well as in BHIs using HEPs. Additionally, we used the oscillatory information in the ECG and the EEG to model the directional information flows between the brain and heart activity. We found that higher emotional arousal was associated with lower HEP amplitudes in a left fronto-central electrode cluster. While parasympathetic modulation of the heart (HF-HRV) and parieto-occipital EEG alpha power were reduced during higher emotional arousal, there was no evidence for the hypothesized emotional arousal-related changes in bidirectional information flow between them. Whole-brain exploratory analyses in additional EEG (delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma) and HRV (low-frequency, LF, and HF) frequency bands revealed a temporo-occipital cluster, in which higher emotional arousal was linked to decreased brain-to-heart (i.e., gamma→HF-HRV) and increased heart-to-brain (i.e., LF-HRV → gamma) information flow. Our results confirm previous findings from less naturalistic experiments and suggest a link between emotional arousal and brain-heart interactions in temporo-occipital gamma power.

Relationship Between High Frequency Component of Heart Rate Variability and Delta EEG Power During Sleep in Women With Irritable Bowel Syndrome Compared to Healthy Women.

To explore the relationship between the high frequency (HF) heart rate variability (HRV) and electroencephalogram (EEG) delta band power in women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) versus healthy control women. Twenty women with IBS and twenty healthy controls were studied over three consecutive nights using polysomnography in a sleep laboratory. To avoid the first night effect, only second-night data were analyzed. Power spectral analysis was applied to HRV and EEG recordings. The linear system coherence/phase analysis assessed the relationship between normalized HF power of HRV and normalized delta band power of EEG during the first four NREM-REM sleep cycles. Women with IBS exhibited a significantly higher percentage of NREM sleep, higher normalized HF, lower normalized low frequency (LF) and decreased LF/HF ratio of HRV in the first four NREM-REM sleep cycles compared to controls. Additionally, their normalized delta band power was significantly lower in these sleep cycles and over the whole night. The phase shift between HF and delta band power was significantly longer in the IBS group. While the coherence between normalized HF and normalized delta band power was lower in the IBS group, the difference was not statistically significant. The coherence/phase analysis showed a dysregulated interaction between autonomic and central nervous systems in women with IBS, manifested by increased lag time between cardiac and EEG delta band power compared to healthy controls. Whether this dysregulation contributes to the pathophysiology of IBS remains to be determined.

Gender differences in the observation of gesture direction: a physiological study

Intransitive gestures are expressive and symbolic, whereas pantomimes are object-related actions. These gestures convey different meanings depending on whether they are directed toward (TB) or away from the body (AB). TB gestures express mental states (intransitive) or hygiene/nutritional activities (pantomime), while AB gestures modify the behaviour of the observer (intransitive) or demonstrate tool use with an object (pantomime). A substantial body of literature suggests that females exhibit stronger social cue processing compared to males. Considering the social significance of gestures, this study aimed to explore the physiological gender differences in the observation of AB and TB gestures. Pupil dilation and High Frequency Heart Rate Variability (HF-HRV) were measured in 54 participants (27 female) while observing TB and AB gestures. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Vicarious Distress Questionnaire (VDQ) were used to assess social-emotional processes. Results showed greater pupil dilation in females for TB gestures, but no significant gender differences for HF-HRV. Males showed a significant correlation between increased pupil dilation to both TB and AB gestures and empathy levels (IRI). The support scale of the VDQ correlated significantly with TB gestures in males. These findings provide insight into the neurobiological basis of gender differences in perceiving social gestures.

Autonomic regulation and comorbid symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is regarded as transdiagnostic marker of emotion regulation and cognitive control capacity. We analysed vmHRV of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Based on previous research, we expected to find comorbid symptom dimensions (i.e. internalizing symptoms, conduct problems (CP), and callous unemotional (CU) traits) to relate to vmHRV measures. The sample comprised 100 (70 boys) medication naïve children with ADHD. Children were 6 to 11 years old. High frequency HRV (HF-HRV) was measured at rest and during a delay of gratification task. Additionally, sympathetic reactivity was assessed via skin conductance responses (SCR). Comorbid symptoms were assessed by parent-report questionnaires and clinical interviews. The multiple correlation between CU traits and the HF-HRV scores proved statistically significant. Higher CU traits were associated with higher HRV resting-state and response scores. CP were positively associated with the SCR score. In children with ADHD, increased CU traits might point to a comparatively less impaired self-regulation capacity in the reward-related context. The result corresponds to findings from previous studies. In the future, CU traits should be considered in analyses of autonomic regulation in ADHD.

Biomarkers of Internet Gaming Disorder-A Narrative Review.

Since game mechanics and their visual aspects have become more and more addictive, there is concern about the growing prevalence of Internet gaming disorder (IGD). In the current narrative review, we searched PubMed and Google Scholar databases for the keywords "igd biomarker gaming" and terms related to biomarker modalities. The biomarkers we found are grouped into several categories based on a measurement method and are discussed in the light of theoretical addiction models (tripartite neurocognitive model, I-PACE). Both theories point to gaming-related problems with salience and inhibition. The first dysfunction makes an individual more susceptible to game stimuli (raised reward seeking), and the second negatively impacts resistance to these stimuli (decreased cognitive control). The IGD patients' hypersensitivity to reward manifests mostly in ventral striatum (VS) measurements. However, there is also empirical support for a ventral-to-dorsal striatal shift and transition from goal-directed to habitual behaviors. The deficits in executive control are demonstrated in parameters related to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), especially the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). In general, the connection of PFC with reward under cortex nuclei seems to be dysregulated. Other biomarkers include reduced P3 amplitudes, high-frequency heart rate variability (HRV), and the number of eye blinks and saccadic eye movements during the non-resting state. A few studies propose a diagnostic (multimodal) model of IGD. The current review also comments on inconsistencies in findings in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and precuneus and makes suggestions for future IGD studies.

Empathic stress is decreased by prior stressor experience and increased in a position of power

The observation of a stressed individual can trigger a stress response in a passive observer. Little is known about the mechanisms of this so-termed empathic stress, including the observer's empathic involvement with the stressful situation. In 108 opposite-sex stranger dyads, we expected to increase the observer's empathic involvement with a stressed target performing a standardized laboratory stressor (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST; Kirschbaum et al., 1993) by exposing observers themselves to the TSST one week earlier. Conversely, we intended to decrease empathic involvement by granting observers a powerful position over the targets (by asking them to evaluate the targets' TSST performance and allegedly decide on their financial compensation). A control group without any manipulation was also included. In the preregistered data analysis, two types of empathic stress were investigated: vicarious stress, which evolves irrespective of the target's stress response, and stress resonance, which is proportional to the target's stress response. Irrespective of manipulation, observers exhibited vicarious stress in subjective and high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), and synchronized with the targets' stress reactivity in cortisol release. Prior TSST experience unexpectedly decreased observers' self-reported empathy and vicarious cortisol stress reactivity. The power manipulation, conversely, led to stronger observer vicarious stress in overall heart rate and HF-HRV reactivity. Based on Wondra and Ellsworth's (2015) appraisal theory, we propose that, due to their prior stressor exposure, observers habituated to said stressor, and consequently changed their evaluation of the target's stressful situation. In contrast, observers in the powerful position may have felt responsible for the targets, triggering a stronger vicarious stressful experience.

Childhood Family Stress and Women's Health: Parasympathetic Activity as a Risk and Resiliency Factor.

Childhood family stress (CFS) exacerbates risk for physical health problems across the lifespan. Health risks associated with CFS are particularly relevant for women who tend to endorse more CFS than men. Importantly, some evidence suggests that individuals may vary in their susceptibility to CFS. Parasympathetic activity, which helps to regulate automatic bodily activity (e.g., breathing, digestion), has been proposed to represent a marker of plasticity to environmental exposure. However, no research to date has tested whether parasympathetic activity may modulate the impact of early adversity on health. We examined whether parasympathetic activity would moderate the link between CFS and health complaints in a sample of 68 undergraduate women (Mean age = 19.44). Participants self-reported CFS and health complaints. Parasympathetic activity was indexed using high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and was evaluated by measuring changes in HF-HRV in response to and following a laboratory-based stress induction. Multiple regression analyses indicated that CFS was significantly associated with more health complaints. Further, HF-HRV in response to stress and during recovery relative to baseline significantly moderated relationship between CFS and health complaints. Specifically, more CFS was significantly associated with more health complaints among women who showed mean or greater decreases in HF-HRV in response to stress. Additionally, lower levels of CFS were associated with fewer health complaints among women who showed mean or greater HF-HRV during recovery relative to baseline. Findings highlight the importance of parasympathetic activity in modulating stress-health links.

Resting vagally-mediated heart rate variability in the laboratory is associated with momentary negative affect and emotion regulation in daily life.

Vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is a physiological index reflecting parasympathetic activity that has been linked to emotion regulation (ER) capacity. However, very limited research has examined associations of physiological indices of regulation such as vmHRV with emotional functioning in daily life. The few studies that exist have small samples sizes and typically focus on only a narrow aspect of ER or emotional functioning. In this study, we examined associations between vmHRV assessed in the laboratory and emotional/mental health functioning in daily life using a 7-day ecological momentary assessment design in 303 adult community participants. We hypothesized that higher resting vmHRV would be associated with higher positive affect (PA), lower negative affect (NA), less affective variability, greater well-being, fewer dysphoria symptoms, greater use of engagement ER strategies, and less use of avoidance ER strategies, as assessed in daily life. Results revealed that higher resting vmHRV in the laboratory (as indexed by both high frequency heart rate variability, HF-HRV, and the root mean of successive square deviations between heart beats, RMSSD) was significantly associated with less frequent use of avoidance ER strategies in daily life. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed, including the association of vmHRV with negatively valenced, rather than positively valenced, daily life experiences.

Cardiac sensing at a spinal cord stimulation lead: a promising on-device potential biomarker for pain and wellbeing.

Introduction: In the search for objective measures of therapeutic outcomes for patients with spinal cord stimulation (SCS) devices, various metrics of cardiac performance have been linked to pain as well as overall health. To track such measures at home, recent studies have incorporated wearables to monitor cardiac activity over months or years. The drawbacks to wearables, such as patient compliance, would be obviated by on-device sensing that incorporates the SCS lead. This study sought to evaluate the feasibility of using SCS leads to record cardiac electrograms. Methods: The quality of signals sensed by externalized, percutaneous leads in the thoracic spine of 10 subjects at the end of their SCS trial were characterized across various electrode configurations and postures by detecting R-peaks and calculating signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In a subset of 5 subjects, cardiac metrics were then compared to those measured simultaneously with a wearable. Results: The average signal quality was acceptable for R-peak detection (i.e., SNR > 5) for all configurations and positions across all 10 subjects, with higher signal quality achieved when recording in resting positions. Notably, the spinal lead recordings enabled more reliable beat detection compared to the wearable (n = 29 recording pairs; p < 0.001). When excluding wearable recordings with over 35% missed beats, the inter-beat intervals across devices were highly correlated (n = 22 recording pairs; Pearson correlation: R = 0.99, p < 0.001). Further comparisons in these aligned wearable and corresponding spinal-lead recordings revealed significant differences in the frequency domain metrics (i.e., absolute and normalized high and low frequency HRV power, p < 0.05), but not in time domain HRV parameters. Discussion: The ability of an implanted SCS system to record electrocardiograms, as demonstrated here, could provide the basis of automated SCS therapy by tracking potential biomarkers of the patient's overall health state without the need for additional external devices.

Epileptic seizure forecasting with wearable-based nocturnal sleep features.

Non-invasive biomarkers have recently shown promise for seizure forecasting in people with epilepsy. In this work, we developed a seizure-day forecasting algorithm based on nocturnal sleep features acquired using a smart shirt. Seventy-eight individuals with epilepsy admitted to the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal epilepsy monitoring unit wore the Hexoskin biometric smart shirt during their stay. The shirt continuously measures electrocardiography, respiratory, and accelerometry activity. Ten sleep features, including sleep efficiency, sleep latency, sleep duration, time spent in non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) and rapid eye movement sleep (REM), wakefulness after sleep onset, average heart and breathing rates, high-frequency heart rate variability, and the number of position changes, were automatically computed using the Hexoskin sleep algorithm. Each night's features were then normalized using a reference night for each patient. A support vector machine classifier was trained for pseudo-prospective seizure-day forecasting, with forecasting horizons of 16- and 24-h to include both diurnal and nocturnal seizures (24-h) or diurnal seizures only (16-h). The algorithm's performance was assessed using a nested leave-one-patient-out cross-validation approach. Improvement over chance (IoC) performances were achieved for 48.7% and 40% of patients with the 16- and 24-h forecasting horizons, respectively. For patients with IoC performances, the proposed algorithm reached mean IoC, sensitivity and time in warning of 34.3%, 86.0%, and 51.7%, respectively for the 16-h horizon, and 34.2%, 64.4% and 30.2%, respectively, for the 24-h horizon. Smart shirt-based nocturnal sleep analysis holds promise as a non-invasive approach for seizure-day forecasting in a subset of people with epilepsy. Further investigations, particularly in a residential setting with long-term recordings, could pave the way for the development of innovative and practical seizure forecasting devices. Seizure forecasting with wearable devices may improve the quality of life of people living with epilepsy who experience unpredictable, recurrent seizures. In this study, we have developed a seizure forecasting algorithm using sleep characteristics obtained from a smart shirt worn at night by a large number of hospitalized patients with epilepsy (78). A daily seizure forecast was generated following each night using machine learning methods. Our results show that around half of people with epilepsy may benefit from such an approach.

Emotional Awareness Is Correlated With Ambulatory Heart Rate Variability: A Replication and Extension.

In healthy volunteers, a positive association has previously been observed between emotional awareness (EA), the ability to identify and describe emotional experiences in oneself and others, and resting heart rate variability (HRV), which is dominated by vagus nerve activity. The current study aimed to investigate the EA-HRV association across multiple assessments in a "real-world" ambulatory context in patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS) who are at genetic risk for sudden cardiac death. Participants (157 LQTS patients; Mean Age = 35.1, SD Age = 10.4; 115 women) completed the levels of emotional awareness scale (LEAS) on one occasion, which served as our measure of EA. In an ecological momentary assessment study involving 10 assessments per day over 3 days, multiple 5-minute ECG assessments (mean = 24.6, SD = 5.1) were obtained in each patient using a Holter monitor, from which high-frequency HRV (HF-HRV) was computed on each occasion. There was a significant positive association between LEAS scores and HF-HRV controlling for biobehavioral covariates. We also detected a similar inverse relation between EA and mean heart rate. These findings suggest that, in patients with a well-defined genetic risk for ventricular arrhythmia and sudden death, the ability to experience emotions in a complex and differentiated way covaries with greater parasympathetic influences on the heart. These findings are consistent with the overlapping neural substrates of EA and HRV and their common contribution to adaptive emotional responding, consistent with the Neurovisceral Integration Model.

Predicting response to stepped-care cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia using pre-treatment heart rate variability in cancer patients

ObjectiveThis study examined whether high frequency heart-rate variability (HF-HRV) and HF-HRV reactivity to worry moderate response to cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) within both a standard and stepped-care framework among cancer patients with comorbid insomnia. Biomarkers such as HF-HRV may predict response to CBT-I, a finding which could potentially inform patient allocation to different treatment intensities within a stepped-care framework. Methods177 participants (86.3 % female; Mage = 55.3, SD = 10.4) were randomized to receive either stepped-care or standard CBT-I. 145 participants had their HRV assessed at pre-treatment during a rest and worry period. Insomnia symptoms were assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and daily sleep diary across five timepoints from pre-treatment to a 12-month post-treatment follow-up. ResultsResting HF-HRV was significantly associated with pre-treatment sleep efficiency and sleep onset latency but not ISI score. However, resting HF-HRV did not predict overall changes in insomnia across treatment and follow-up. Similarly, resting HF-HRV did not differentially predict changes in sleep diary parameters across standard or stepped-care groups. HRV reactivity was not related to any of the assessed outcome measures in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. ConclusionAlthough resting HF-HRV was related to initial daily sleep parameters, HF-HRV measures did not significantly predict longitudinal responses to CBT-I. These findings suggest that HF-HRV does not predict treatment responsiveness to CBT-I interventions of different intensity in cancer patients.

Thermoregulatory differences in sex and time-of-day within naturally ventilated office environments

Thermal comfort research lacks continuous data collection on thermoregulation and adaptive behavior in real-world environments. This paper presents the findings of a field study that aimed at understanding the temporal and individual differences between humans’ thermoregulation and adaptation within a dynamic thermal environment. The dataset contains a 6-week long summer field study of 2022 observing nine participants in a naturally ventilated office without a cooling system. The data collection comprises a total of 43 measurement days (22,776 data points at 60s frequency). The results indicate that the overall trend in clothing insulation deviates from standard assumptions (0.5 clo), especially above air temperatures of 26 °C. The mean clothing insulation was 0.29 clo ±0.08, overall ranging from 0.20 to 0.73 clo. The data showed significant sex differences in tonic levels of electrodermal activity, the low-frequency to high-frequency heart rate variability ratio, and clothing insulation. Other heart rate variability data, like the root mean square of successive differences and beats per minute, as well as the distal skin temperature of the wrist, show significant sex differences and time-of-day variations in morning-to-afternoon comparisons. The findings indicate a nuanced relationship between air temperature and thermoregulatory responses, highlighting the need for future research with larger, more diverse participant cohorts and enhanced environmental monitoring to strengthen the validity and generalizability of the findings.

Probing the neurocardiac circuit in trauma and posttraumatic stress

The neurocardiac circuit is integral to physiological regulation of threat and trauma-related responses. However, few direct investigations of brain-behavior associations with replicable physiological markers of PTSD have been conducted. The current study probed the neurocardiac circuit by examining associations among its core regions in the brain (e.g., insula, hypothalamus) and the periphery (heart rate [HR], high frequency heart rate variability [HF-HRV], and blood pressure [BP]). We sought to characterize these associations and to determine whether there were differences by PTSD status. Participants were N = 315 (64.1 % female) trauma-exposed adults enrolled from emergency departments as part of the prospective AURORA study. Participants completed a deep phenotyping session (e.g., fear conditioning, magnetic resonance imaging) two weeks after emergency department admission. Voxelwise analyses revealed several significant interactions between PTSD severity 8-weeks posttrauma and psychophysiological recordings on hypothalamic connectivity to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), insula, superior temporal sulcus, and temporoparietaloccipital junction. Among those with PTSD, diastolic BP was directly correlated with right insula-hypothalamic connectivity, whereas the reverse was found for those without PTSD. PTSD status moderated the association between systolic BP, HR, and HF-HRV and hypothalamic connectivity in the same direction. While preliminary, our findings may suggest that individuals with higher PTSD severity exhibit compensatory neural mechanisms to down-regulate autonomic imbalance. Additional study is warranted to determine how underlying mechanisms (e.g., inflammation) may disrupt the neurocardiac circuit and increase cardiometabolic disease risk in PTSD.

High frequency heart rate variability is associated with sensitivity to affective touch

C-tactile afferents (CTs) are a class of unmyelinated, mechanosensitive nerve fibre that respond optimally to skin temperature, slow moving touch typical of a caress. They are hypothesised to signal the rewarding value of affiliative tactile interactions. While CT firing frequency is positively correlated with subjective ratings of touch pleasantness, trait differences in sensitivity to the specific hedonic value of CT targeted touch have been reported.Inter-individual differences in vagally mediated, high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) have been linked to variation in visual social cognition. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between resting state HF-HRV and sensitivity to socially relevant CT targeted touch.58 healthy participants first had a 5-minute electrocardiogram. They then rated the pleasantness of 5 randomly presented velocities of robotically delivered touch. Three velocities fell within (1, 3, 10 cm/s) and two outside (0.3, 30 cm/s) the CT optimal range. Each velocity was delivered twice.On a group level, affective touch ratings were described by a negative quadratic function, with CT optimal velocities rated as more pleasant than slower and faster speeds. Simple regression analysis confirmed participants’ HF-HRV was significantly predicted by the quadratic curve fit of their touch ratings, with higher HF-HRV associated with a better quadratic fit.These findings indicate that, in line with previous observations that higher HF-HRV is associated with enhanced sensitivity to visual social cues, trait differences in autonomic control could account for previously reported individual differences in CT sensitivity.

The associations among glycemic control, heart variability, and autonomic brain function in healthy individuals: Age- and sex-related differences

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to clarify the relationships between glycemia and function of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), assessed via resting-state functional connectivity (FC) and heart-rate variability (HRV). MethodsData for this study were extracted from the Leipzig Study for Mind-Body-Emotion Interactions, including 146 healthy adults (114 young, 32 older). Variables of interest were glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), resting-state FC in the salience aspect of the central-autonomic (S-CAN) and salience network (SN) and HRV (RMSSD and high-frequency HRV (HF-HRV)). ResultsHbA1c was inversely correlated with FC in the S-CAN but not SN. HbA1c was inversely correlated with HRV. Both RMSSD and log(HF-HRV) were correlated with FC in the S-CAN and SN. Age- (not sex-related) differences were observed in the Hb1Ac-FC associations (stronger in older adults) while sex- (not age-related) differences were observed in the HRV-FC (stronger in females). ConclusionsThese findings extend the diabetes literature to healthy adults in relating glycemia and brain function. The age- and sex-related differences in these relationships highlight the need to account for the potential effects of age and sex in future investigations.

Cyberbullying victimization and psychopathological symptoms among adolescents varied in BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and vagal tone

BackgroundCyberbullying victimization increases psychopathological symptoms among adolescents. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene rs6265 polymorphism or vagal tone as individual diathesis or plasticity has been identified to interact with adverse experiences to affect developmental psychopathology. However, how these different individual factors combined to interact with adverse experiences to affect developmental psychopathology remains unknown. This study sought to investigate the integrally moderating role of BDNF gene rs6265 polymorphism and vagal tone in the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and psychopathological symptoms among adolescents. MethodsThe Cyberbullying Victimization Scale (CVS) and the Youth Self-Report (YSR-2001-CV) were administered to 382 junior school students, their saliva were collected for DNA genotyping and 5 min resting high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) were recorded for assessing vagal tone. ResultsA positive relation between cyberbullying victimization and psychopathological symptoms was found, and this relation was independently and jointly moderated by resting HF-HRV and BDNF gene rs6265 polymorphism. Specifically, the relation was weaker only among adolescents with Val/Val genotype and low resting HF-HRV, but not those with Val/Val genotype and high resting HF-HRV, or Met/Met or Val/Met genotype regardless of resting HF-HRV. ConclusionThese findings suggest a combined moderating effect of BDNF gene rs6265 polymorphism and vagal tone on the relation between cyberbullying victimization and psychopathological symptoms among adolescents.

Different heart rate variability profile during sleep in mid-later life adults with remitted early-onset versus late-onset depression

BackgroundIn mid-later life adults, early-onset and late-onset (i.e., onset ≥50 years) depression appear to be underpinned by different pathophysiology yet have not been examined in relation to autonomic function. Sleep provides an opportunity to examine the autonomic nervous system as the physiology changes across the night. Hence, we aimed to explore if autonomic profile is altered in mid-later life adults with remitted early-onset, late-onset and no history of lifetime depression. MethodsParticipants aged 50–90 years (n = 188) from a specialised clinic underwent a comprehensive clinical assessment and completed an overnight polysomnography study. General Linear Models were used to examine the heart rate variability differences among the three groups for four distinct sleep stages and the wake after sleep onset. All analyses controlled for potential confounders – age, sex, current depressive symptoms and antidepressant usage. ResultsFor the wake after sleep onset, mid-later life adults with remitted early-onset depression had reduced standard deviation of Normal to Normal intervals (SDNN; p = .014, d = −0.64) and Shannon Entropy (p = .004, d = −0.46,) than those with no history of lifetime depression. Further, the late-onset group showed a reduction in high-frequency heart rate variability (HFn.u.) during non-rapid eye movement sleep stage 2 (N2; p = .005, d = −0.53) and non-rapid eye movement sleep stage 3 (N3; p = .009, d = −0.55) when compared to those with no lifetime history. LimitationsCausality between heart rate variability and depression cannot be derived in this cross-sectional study. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine the effects remitted depressive episodes on autonomic function. ConclusionThe findings suggest differential autonomic profile for remitted early-onset and late-onset mid-later life adults during sleep stages and wake periods. The differences could potentially serve as peripheral biomarkers in conjunction with more disease-specific markers of depression to improve diagnosis and prognosis.