Effect of Stress on Autonomic and Cardiovascular Systems in Military Population: A Systematic Review

Stress is regulated by the autonomous nervous system, increasing the sympathetic modulation when a threat is perceived. A multifactorial response usually leads to significant behavioural modifications and alterations on homeostasis and physical and psychological status. Moreover, stress is an emotional response that can lead to psychosocial and psychophysiological adversity. Regarding military population, military operations and combat exposure are important stressors that influence acute and chronic stress response in soldiers, affecting their performance and health. A bibliographic search was carried out between April and May 2019, focusing on recent studies (2013–2019) that analysed psychophysiological response, stress, stress regulation, heart rate, heart rate variability, and posttraumatic stress disorder in military population. Autonomic and cardiovascular chronic stress seems to be modulated by experience and previous specific training of each military unit. Physical exercise, music embedded with binaural beat technology, bidirectional sensory motor rhythm training, heart rate variability biofeedback, and transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation are the main techniques applied to balance stress and to recover body homeostasis. Since military population are usually exposed to multiple stressors, knowing previous training and experience, together with developing techniques to balance stress, is the main practical application in this field of study to balance autonomic and cardiovascular systems.

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Heart Rate and Heart‐Rate Variability Responses to Acute and Chronic Stress in a Wild‐Caught Passerine Bird

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology ◽

10.1086/589839 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 82 (4) ◽

pp. 332-344 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Nicole E. Cyr ◽

Molly J. Dickens ◽

L. Michael Romero

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Chronic Stress ◽

Passerine Bird ◽

Acute And Chronic Stress

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Photoplethysmography (PPG)-determined heart rate variability (HRV) and extracellular water (ECW) in the evaluation of chronic stress and inflammation

HORMONES ◽

10.1007/s42000-021-00341-y ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

George P. Chrousos ◽

Nektaria Papadopoulou-Marketou ◽

Flora Bacopoulou ◽

Mariantonietta Lucafò ◽

Andrea Gallotta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Chronic Stress ◽

Extracellular Water

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Wavelet transform to quantify heart rate variability and to assess its instantaneous changes

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/jappl.1999.86.3.1081 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 86 (3) ◽

pp. 1081-1091 ◽

Cited By ~ 145

Author(s):

Vincent Pichot ◽

Jean-Michel Gaspoz ◽

Serge Molliex ◽

Anestis Antoniadis ◽

Thierry Busso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Nervous System ◽

Fourier Transform ◽

Wavelet Transform ◽

Wavelet Transforms ◽

Autonomous Nervous System ◽

Dynamic Changes ◽

Nonstationary Signals ◽

Higher Doses

Heart rate variability is a recognized parameter for assessing autonomous nervous system activity. Fourier transform, the most commonly used method to analyze variability, does not offer an easy assessment of its dynamics because of limitations inherent in its stationary hypothesis. Conversely, wavelet transform allows analysis of nonstationary signals. We compared the respective yields of Fourier and wavelet transforms in analyzing heart rate variability during dynamic changes in autonomous nervous system balance induced by atropine and propranolol. Fourier and wavelet transforms were applied to sequences of heart rate intervals in six subjects receiving increasing doses of atropine and propranolol. At the lowest doses of atropine administered, heart rate variability increased, followed by a progressive decrease with higher doses. With the first dose of propranolol, there was a significant increase in heart rate variability, which progressively disappeared after the last dose. Wavelet transform gave significantly better quantitative analysis of heart rate variability than did Fourier transform during autonomous nervous system adaptations induced by both agents and provided novel temporally localized information.

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Anxiety and Heart Rate Variability before Sleep Indicate Chronic Stress in Students

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/09.13.pms.112.1.138-150 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 112 (1) ◽

pp. 138-150 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Maki Furutani ◽

Hideki Tanaka ◽

Ichiro Agari

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Chronic Stress

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Immediate Effect of Primal Reflex Release Technique on Heart Rate Variability in Chronic Neck Pain: A Case Report

International Journal of Health Sciences and Research ◽

10.52403/ijhsr.20210624 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 157-160

Author(s):

Mayura P. Deshmukh ◽

Ashwini N. Patil ◽

Gaurang Baxi

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Nervous System ◽

Neck Pain ◽

Chronic Neck Pain ◽

Startle Reflex ◽

Autonomous Nervous System ◽

Large Sample Size ◽

Release Technique ◽

The One

Primal reflex release technique (PRRT) is a paradigm shift in the treatment of pain which follows the principle of rebooting the autonomous nervous system (ANS), by down regulating the upgraded sympathetic component of ANS in a variety of pain syndromes. To check the effect of PRRT on chronic neck pain, a case study was done using Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) as outcome measures. After conducting the one minute nociceptive exam for startle reflex, indication of the upgraded Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), a single session of PRRT was carried out on a 24 year old female patient with chronic neck pain having a VAS score of 7 on activity and that of 5 on rest. Pre and post treatment HRV analysis was done using frequency domain and time domain parameters. Post PRRT treatment, an improvement in VAS scale with a score of 4 on activity and that of 3 on rest was seen. HRV showed a decrease in HFnu (26.7 vs 24.5), RMSSD (63.553 vs 59.216), SDNN (28.58 vs 34.82) and PNN50 (48.3 vs 42.5) which refers to decreased parasympathetic activity, and increased LFnu (73.3 vs 75.5) which indicates increased sympathetic activity. This was the first study evaluating the effect of PRRT with HRV. Further research needs to be conducted to validate HRV findings in chronic pain patients undergoing PRRT using a large sample size and interval based assessment of HRV. Key words: Neck Pain, Primal reflex release technique, Startle Reflex, Heart Rate Variability.

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Integrated differentiated therapy of patients with relapses of rosacea taking into account heart rate variability indices and psychological status changes

Zaporozhye Medical Journal ◽

10.14739/2310-1210.2015.4.50255 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 0 (4) ◽

Author(s):

A. V. Vasilenko

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Psychological Status

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Assessment of Heart Rate Variability in Fibromyalgia after Micro-physiotherapy.

Manual Therapy Posturology & Rehabilitation Journal ◽

10.17784/mtprehabjournal.2014.12.189 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 189

Author(s):

Adriano Pinto Pereira ◽

Eluciene Maria dos Santos Carvalho ◽

Ivo Ilvan Kerppers ◽

Meiriélly Furmann ◽

Juliana Aparecida Wosch Pires ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Treatment Method ◽

The Body ◽

Autonomous Nervous System ◽

Self Healing ◽

Non Invasive ◽

A Value ◽

Before And After

Introduction: Fibromyalgia syndrome is characterized by musculo-skeletal pain. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a versatile and promising non-invasive marker of the autonomous nervous system. Micro-physiotherapy involves manual physiotherapy that seeks to identify the primary cause of a disease or symptom and to stimulate self-healing, in which the body recognizes the aggressor (antigen) and begins the elimination process, through cellular and tissue reprogramming. Method: The sample was composed of 15 individuals, aged between 35 and 40 years, with fibromyalgia. The Nerve Express method was used to assess the variability of the heart rate. Two sessions of micro-physiotherapy were conducted using global methods, with an interval of 45 days between sessions. Results: Based on the HRV results, the high frequency band was confirmed at p=0.203, with the low frequency recording a statistically significant value of p=0.001, thereby demonstrating sympathetic activity. Upon comparison of the mean heartbeat before and after treatment, a value of p=0.0006 was obtained. A value of p=0.049 was recorded in the analysis of the median R-R interval values. Conclusion: The use of micro-physiotherapy as a treatment method for fibromyalgia effectively improved the lives of patients by promoting sympathicotonia.

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Characterization of Heart Rate Variability Changes Following Asphyxia in Rats

Methods of Information in Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1633847 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 43 (01) ◽

pp. 118-121 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

L. Moraru ◽

L. Cimponeriu ◽

S. Tong ◽

N. Thakor ◽

A. Bezerianos

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Nervous System ◽

Cardiac Arrest ◽

Frequency Domain ◽

Linear Time ◽

Approximate Entropy ◽

Recovery Process ◽

Autonomous Nervous System ◽

Nonlinear Parameters

Summary Objectives: A non-invasive method to monitor the functioning of the autonomous nervous system consists in heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes on HRV after an asphyxia experiment in rats, using several linear (time and frequency domain) and nonlinear parameters (approximate entropy, SD1 and SD2 indices derived from Poincare plots). Methods: The experiments involved the study of HRV changes after cardiac arrest (CA) resulting from 5 min of hypoxia and asphyxia, followed by manual resuscitation and return of spontaneous circulation. 5 min stationary periods of RR intervals were selected for further analysis from 5 rats in following distinct situations: 1) baseline, 2) 30 min after CA, 3) 60 min after CA, 4) 90 min after CA, 5) 120 min after CA, 6) 150 min after CA. The ANS contribution has been delineated based on time and frequency domain analysis. Results and Conclusions: The results indicate that the recovery process following the asphyxia cardiac arrest reflects the impaired functioning of the autonomic nervous system. Both linear and nonlinear parameters track the different phases of the experiment, with an increased sensitivity displayed by the approximate entropy (ApEn). After 150 min the ApEn RRI parameter recovers to its baseline value. The results forward the ApEn as a more sensitive parameter of the recovery process following the asphyxia.

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