scholarly journals Follow your heart? Examining heart rate variability as a predictor of neural reactivity to social rejection - A network approach to individual differences in social threat sensitivity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise Kortink ◽  
Wouter Weeda ◽  
Bart Verkuil ◽  
Selin Topel ◽  
Melle J. W. van der Molen
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Social Rejection ◽  
Integration Theory ◽  
Social Threat ◽  
Theta Power ◽  
Threat Sensitivity ◽  
Power Increase

Frontal midline (FM) theta (4–8 Hz) reactivity to unexpected social rejection seems to be an important correlate of a neural threat-detection system. Neurovisceral integration theory proposes that the functioning of such systems is indexed by heart rate variability (HRV). Here, we tested this by examining whether baseline HRV predicts FM-theta reactivity to unexpected rejection feedback. Additionally, we examined whether this alleged heart-brain connection differs based on individual differences in personality and behavioral constructs relevant to social threat sensitivity. Female undergraduates (n = 149; mean age = 19.7 years) performed the social-judgment paradigm, where they communicated their expectations about being liked/disliked by unfamiliar peers who had allegedly evaluated them, and received peer-feedback indicating social acceptance/rejection. We used community structure analysis to subtract subgroups, based on self-esteem, social feedback expectations, and response speed of providing expectations. Results provided evidence of two distinct subgroups: optimistic vs. pessimistic in light of social threat. Baseline HRV did not predict FM-theta reactivity to unexpected rejection, and this relationship was not modulated by the subgroups. Both subgroups showed a significant FM-theta power increase following unexpected rejection. Additionally, the optimistic subgroup was uniquely characterized by a FM-theta power increase following rejection (as against acceptance) feedback. Supporting prior studies, our results suggest that enhanced FM-theta signals the need for cognitive control when faced with unexpected outcomes, and extend this by suggesting that differences in social threat sensitivity may determine whether an outcome is deemed meaningful enough to signal the need for cognitive control.

Individual Recovery Profiles in Basketball Players

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordi Moreno ◽  
Juan Ramos-Castro ◽  
Gil Rodas ◽  
Joan R. Tarragó ◽  
Lluís Capdevila
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Stress Recovery ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
Professional Basketball ◽  
Recovery Strategies ◽  
Basketball Team

AbstractIn the sport context, recovery has been characterized as a multifactor process (physiological, psychological, behavioral, social, etc.). This study takes a multidisciplinary approach to find psychophysiological markers of the stress-recovery process. It aims to determine how athletes’ specific recovery actions relate to their perceptions of recovery, and Heart Rate Variability (HRV). A total of 196 assessments were analyzed from 6 players on a men’s professional basketball team within the Liga LEB Oro basketball federation (2012/2013 season). Perceptions of recovery, recovery strategies, and HRV were recorded. The results show a pattern of individual differences in behavior related to athletes’ recovery actions and HRV profiles throughout the season (p < .05). Moreover, we observed that each player had different recovery needs. In light of these results, we suggest an individualistic approach to evaluating and monitoring recovery to attend more accurately to each player’s recovery needs.

scholarly journals Heart Rate Variability Predicts Older Adults’ Avoidance of Negativity

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. 1679-1688
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Mantantzis ◽  
Friederike Schlaghecken ◽  
Elizabeth A Maylor
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Emotional Information ◽  
Positivity Effect ◽  
Effect Magnitude

Abstract Objectives The ability to produce situation-appropriate cognitive and emotional responses is dependent on autonomic nervous system (ANS) functionality. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an index of ANS functionality, and resting HRV levels have been associated with cognitive control and inhibitory capacity in young adults, particularly when faced with emotional information. As older adults’ greater preference for positive and avoidance of negative stimuli (positivity effect) is thought to be dependent on cognitive control, we hypothesized that HRV could predict positivity-effect magnitude in older adults. Method We measured resting-level HRV and gaze preference for happy and angry (relative to neutral) faces in 63 young and 62 older adults. Results Whereas young adults showed no consistent preference for happy or angry faces, older adults showed the expected positivity effect, which predominantly manifested as negativity avoidance rather than positivity preference. Crucially, older but not young adults showed an association between HRV and gaze preference, with higher levels of HRV being specifically associated with stronger negativity avoidance. Discussion This is the first study to demonstrate a link between older adults’ ANS functionality and their avoidance of negative information. Increasing the efficiency of the cardiovascular system might selectively improve older adults’ ability to disregard negative influences.

scholarly journals S50. COGNITION AND EMOTION REGULATION IN SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS WITH A HISTORY OF AGGRESSION

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S51-S52
Author(s):  
Anthony Ahmed ◽  
Sarah E Dihmes ◽  
Mila Kirstie-Kulsa ◽  
Amanda Hefner ◽  
Isidora Ljuri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
History Of ◽  
Eyes Task

Abstract Background Studies have shown a convergence of neural systems implicated in cognitive control and social emotional functions with mechanisms involved in emotion regulation, awareness, and impulsive aggression. In a sample of patients with a history of aggression, we examined the association of cognitive and social cognitive functions with emotion regulation capacity, emotional awareness, impulse control, and aggression. Methods Participants were 78 individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder that participated in a cognitive training study. Emotion regulation capacity was indexed by obtaining participants’ heart rate variability (HRV), respiration, and skin conductance while participants viewed pictures selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Three blocks of pictures were presented—a neutral block depicting pictures of everyday objects preceded by audio recordings of their description; an emotionally-evocative block preceded by their description, and a reappraisal block of emotionally-evocative pictures preceded by reappraisal statements. A subset of participants (N=37) completed the emotion regulation task. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task (Eyes Task), and the Emotion Recognition-40 (ER-40) were administered to assess cognitive functioning, mentalizing, and facial affect recognition respectively. Negative affectivity was captured using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) whereas aggression was measured with the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) and the Overt Aggression Scale Modified (OAS-M). In a smaller subsample of 12 individuals, we performed analyses of activation patterns during the performance of the emotion regulation task. Regions of interest (ROI) included the dACC, DLPFC, VLPFC, vmPFC, left and right amygdala, and the subcallosal cingulate. We created a regional mask of the cognitive control and emotional appraisal regions for event-related fMRI. Results There were inverse associations between performance on the MCCB and the Eyes Task and indices of emotion regulation capacity—in particular, significant associations were obtained with Low Frequency/High Frequency HRV ratio (r=-0.324, p&lt;0.05) and SCL (r=-0.331, p&lt;0.05). Both HRV and respiration measures were inversely correlated with aggression measured with the TAP suggesting an association between reduced emotion regulation capacity and a risk for aggression. There were inverse associations between activation within the event-related regional mask and low frequency/high frequency heart rate variability ratio at rest (r=-0.504, p=0.095) and during the viewing of emotionally-evocative pictures (r = -0.264, p=0.36). Associations with HRV were especially remarkable for the dorsomedial, ventrolateral, and right amygdala regions. Remarkably, increased activation in the regional mask when reappraisal statements were provided with emotionally-evocative pictures was inversely correlated with the life history of aggression LHA (r=-0.32, p=0.28, n=14) and OAS (r=-0.284, p=0.34, n=14) aggression scores. This pattern was present when the dACC, right and left amygdala, DLPFC, VLPFC, and the subcallosal cingulate were set as the seed region. Discussion The results show an association between cognitive functions and emotion regulation capacity indexed by measuring physiological arousal during the performance of the picture viewing task. Emotion regulation capacity also showed significant association with aggression. Deficits in cognitive and social cognitive abilities may contribute to and be viable targets for improving emotion regulation capacity and decreasing aggression risk.

scholarly journals 0041 Heart Rate Variability Differs in Resilient vs. Vulnerable Adults from Total Sleep Deprivation and Psychological Stress and Predicts Cognitive Performance

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A16-A17
Author(s):  
E M Yamazaki ◽  
K M Rosendahl-Garcia ◽  
L E MacMullen ◽  
A J Ecker ◽  
J N Kirkpatrick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Sleep Deprivation ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Psychological Stress ◽  
Total Sleep Deprivation ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Significant Time ◽  
Recovery Sleep

Abstract Introduction There are substantial individual differences (resilience and vulnerability) in neurobehavioral performance from psychosocial stress and sleep loss. However, the time course of heart rate variability (HRV) across baseline, total sleep deprivation (TSD), the combination of TSD + psychological stress, and recovery has not been investigated; in addition, it remains unknown whether HRV and blood pressure (BP) differ in resilient vs. vulnerable individuals and predict individual differences in cognitive performance. Methods Thirty-one healthy adults (ages 27–53; mean±SD, 35.4±7.1y; 14 females) participated in a five-day experiment consisting of two 8h time-in-bed (TIB) baseline nights, 39h TSD, and two 8h-10h TIB recovery nights. A modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) induced psychological stress on the TSD day. Systolic and diastolic BP and HRV (derived from echocardiographic R-R interval) were obtained at six time points (pre-study, baseline, during TSD, during TSD after the TSST, after recovery, and post-study). Cognitively resilient (n=15) and vulnerable (n=16) groups were defined by a median split on 10-minute Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) TSD performance [total lapses (&gt;500ms response time) and errors]. Repeated measures ANOVA and post-hoc comparisons corrected for multiple testing, examined BP and HRV across time points between groups. Results HRV showed a significant time*group interaction: while resilient individuals had significantly lower HRV at pre-study compared to vulnerable individuals, their HRV increased above that of vulnerable individuals with TSD and with TSD + psychological stress. By contrast, systolic and diastolic BP did not show significant time*group interactions and did not predict cognitive vulnerability during TSD. Conclusion HRV differed between resilient and vulnerable individuals across TSD, psychological stress and recovery sleep and predicted individual differences in cognitive performance, whereby lower HRV during full-rested conditions predicted resilience to TSD and TSD + psychological stress. HRV, but not BP, is a reliable biomarker of sleep deprivation, psychological stress, and neurobehavioral vulnerability. Support NASA NNX14AN49G.

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