scholarly journals Morality of the Heart: Heart Rate Variability and Moral Rule Adherence in Men

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Lischke ◽  
Matthias Weippert ◽  
Anett Mau-Moeller ◽  
Rike Pahnke

Moral rules are a cornerstone of many societies. Most moral rules are concerned with the welfare of other individuals, reflecting individuals’ innate aversion against harming other individuals. Harming others is associated with aversive experiences, implying that individuals who are sensitive to the aversiveness of these experiences are more likely to follow moral rules than individuals who are insensitive to the aversiveness of these experiences. Individuals’ sensitivity for aversive experiences depends on individuals’ ability to integrate the underlying neural and physiological processes: Individuals who are more efficient in integrating these processes are more sensitive to the aversiveness that is associated with moral rule violations than individuals who are less efficient in integrating these processes. Individuals who differ in their ability to integrate these processes may, thus, also differ in their inclination to follow moral rules. We tested this assumption in a sample of healthy individuals (67 males) who completed measures of moral rule adherence and integration abilities. Moral rule adherence was assessed with self-report measure and integration abilities were assessed with a resting state measure of heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects prefrontal–(para-)limbic engagement during the integration of physical and neural processes. We found a positive association between individuals’ HRV and individuals’ moral rule adherence, implying that individuals with efficient integration abilities were more inclined to follow moral rules than individuals with inefficient integration abilities. Our findings support the assumption that individuals with different integration abilities also differ in moral rule adherence, presumably because of differences in aversiveness sensitivity.

Author(s):  
Maria Meier ◽  
Eva Unternaehrer ◽  
Sabine M. Schorpp ◽  
Maya Wenzel ◽  
Annika Benz ◽  
...  

Abstract. Cognition is affected by psychophysiological states. While the influence of stress on cognition has been investigated intensively, less studies have addressed how the opposite of stress, a state of relaxation, affects cognition. We investigated whether the extent of parasympathetic activation is positively related to divergent thinking. Sixty healthy female participants were randomly allocated to a standardized vagus nerve massage ( n = 19), a standardized soft shoulder massage ( n = 22), or a resting control group ( n = 19). Subsequently, participants completed the Alternative Uses Test (AUT), a measure of divergent thinking. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a vagally mediated heart rate variability component, was monitored throughout the experiment. The area under the curve with respect to the increase was calculated for RSA trajectories as an indicator of vagal tone during the relaxing intervention. Regressions tested the effect of vagal tone on AUT outcomes. We found an association between vagal tone and subsequent AUT outcomes. Yet, this association was no longer significant when controlling for the effect of the creative potential of an individual, which was strongly related to AUT outcomes. Being exploratory, we found a positive association between creative potential and vagal tone. These results imply that creative potential might be related to the capacity to relax.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-150
Author(s):  
Ed Maunder ◽  
Andrew E. Kilding ◽  
Christopher J. Stevens ◽  
Daniel J. Plews

A common practice among endurance athletes is to purposefully train in hot environments during a “heat stress camp.” However, combined exercise-heat stress poses threats to athlete well-being, and therefore, heat stress training has the potential to induce maladaptation. This case study describes the monitoring strategies used in a successful 3-week heat stress camp undertaken by 2 elite Ironman triathletes, namely resting heart rate variability, self-report well-being, and careful prescription of training based on previously collected physiological data. Despite the added heat stress, training volume very likely increased in both athletes, and training load very likely increased in one of the athletes, while resting heart rate variability and self-report well-being were maintained. There was also some evidence of favorable metabolic changes during routine laboratory testing following the camp. The authors therefore recommend that practitioners working with endurance athletes embarking on a heat stress training camp consider using the simple strategies employed in the present case study to reduce the risk of maladaptation and nonfunctional overreaching.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248686
Author(s):  
Sabrina Neyer ◽  
Michael Witthöft ◽  
Mark Cropley ◽  
Markus Pawelzik ◽  
Ricardo Gregorio Lugo ◽  
...  

Vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV) is a psychophysiological indicator of mental and physical health. Limited research suggests there is reduced vagal activity and resulting lower HRV in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD); however little is actually known about the association between HRV and symptoms of depression and whether the association mirrors symptom improvement following psychotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between antidepressant therapy, symptom change and HRV in 50 inpatients (68% females; 17–68 years) with a diagnosis of MDD. Severity of depressive symptoms was assessed by self-report (Beck Depression Inventory II) and the Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression. Measures of vagally mediated HRV (root mean square of successive differences and high-frequency) were assessed at multiple measurement points before and after inpatient psychotherapeutic and psychiatric treatment. Results showed an expected negative correlation between HRV and depressive symptoms at intake. Depressive symptoms improved (d = 0.84) without corresponding change in HRV, demonstrating a de-coupling between this psychophysiological indicator and symptom severity. To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine an association between HRV and depressive symptoms before and after psychotherapy. The observed de-coupling of depression and HRV, and its methodological implications for future research are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 13616
Author(s):  
Min You ◽  
Sylvain Laborde ◽  
Uirassu Borges ◽  
Robert Samuel Vaughan ◽  
Fabrice Dosseville

Cognitive failures represent everyday task failures that individuals are normally capable of completing. While cognitive failures measured with the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire can be considered a trait, the psychophysiological states associated with cognitive failures are yet to be fully understood. The aim of this paper was to investigate the extent to which the perception of experiencing cognitive failures in daily life is associated with both psychological (i.e., perceived emotional valence, emotional intensity, and stress), as well as physiological (i.e., vagally-mediated heart rate variability, vmHRV) variables. A total of 69 participants were involved in this study (47 male, 22 female; Mage = 22.4 years). Participants underwent a 5-min heart rate variability measurement and filled out the self-report psychological variables, before completing the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, providing scores for Distractibility, Forgetfulness, and False Triggering. When combining the predictors together into a hierarchical regression analysis, only the model related to the Distractibility subscale was found to be significant (unique significant negative predictor: resting vmHRV). Further research should investigate whether influencing resting vmHRV, with interventions such as slow-paced breathing, may decrease the perception of cognitive failures related to distractibility.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Huang Shih ◽  
Pai-Chien Chou ◽  
Ting-Ling Chou ◽  
Tsai-Wei Huang

BACKGROUND Cancer-related fatigue is a serious side effect of cancer, and its treatment can disrupt the quality of life of patients. Clinically, the standard method for assessing cancer-related fatigue relies on subjective experience retrieved from patient self-reports, such as the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI). However, most patients do not self-report their fatigue levels. OBJECTIVE In this study, we aim to develop an objective cancer-related fatigue assessment method to track and monitor fatigue in patients with cancer. METHODS In total, 12 patients with lung cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy or targeted therapy were enrolled. We developed frequency-domain parameters of heart rate variability (HRV) and BFI based on a wearable-based HRV measurement system. All patients completed the BFI-Taiwan version questionnaire and wore the device for 7 consecutive days to record HRV parameters such as low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and LF-HF ratio (LF-HF). Statistical analysis was used to map the correlation between subjective fatigue and objective data. RESULTS A moderate positive correlation was observed between the average LF-HF ratio and BFI in the sleep phase (ρ=0.86). The mapped BFI score derived by the BFI mapping method could approximate the BFI from the patient self-report. The mean absolute error rate between the subjective and objective BFI scores was 3%. CONCLUSIONS LF-HF is highly correlated with the cancer-related fatigue experienced by patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Beyond revealing fatigue levels objectively, continuous HRV recordings through the photoplethysmography watch device and the defined parameters (LF-HF) can define the active phase and sleep phase in patients with lung cancer who undergo chemotherapy or targeted chemotherapy, allowing a deduction of their sleep patterns. CLINICALTRIAL


2004 ◽  
Vol 331 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 225-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Echeverría ◽  
M.S. Woolfson ◽  
J.A. Crowe ◽  
B.R. Hayes-Gill ◽  
Jean F. Piéri ◽  
...  

Biofeedback ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 121-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Shaffer ◽  
Didier C. Combatalade

Heart rate variability (HRV) refers to the beat-to-beat variation in the time intervals between heart contractions. This phenomenon reflects physiological processes that are trained in many biofeedback applications. HRV is routinely monitored using an electrocardiograph (ECG) or photoplethysmograph (PPG), supplemented by a respirometer. This article explains the importance of inspecting raw signals, describes the effects of prescription medications and social drugs, identifies common sources of signal contamination, and recommends practical precautions to increase recording fidelity.


10.2196/25791 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. e25791
Author(s):  
Chi-Huang Shih ◽  
Pai-Chien Chou ◽  
Ting-Ling Chou ◽  
Tsai-Wei Huang

Background Cancer-related fatigue is a serious side effect of cancer, and its treatment can disrupt the quality of life of patients. Clinically, the standard method for assessing cancer-related fatigue relies on subjective experience retrieved from patient self-reports, such as the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI). However, most patients do not self-report their fatigue levels. Objective In this study, we aim to develop an objective cancer-related fatigue assessment method to track and monitor fatigue in patients with cancer. Methods In total, 12 patients with lung cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy or targeted therapy were enrolled. We developed frequency-domain parameters of heart rate variability (HRV) and BFI based on a wearable-based HRV measurement system. All patients completed the BFI-Taiwan version questionnaire and wore the device for 7 consecutive days to record HRV parameters such as low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and LF-HF ratio (LF-HF). Statistical analysis was used to map the correlation between subjective fatigue and objective data. Results A moderate positive correlation was observed between the average LF-HF ratio and BFI in the sleep phase (ρ=0.86). The mapped BFI score derived by the BFI mapping method could approximate the BFI from the patient self-report. The mean absolute error rate between the subjective and objective BFI scores was 3%. Conclusions LF-HF is highly correlated with the cancer-related fatigue experienced by patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Beyond revealing fatigue levels objectively, continuous HRV recordings through the photoplethysmography watch device and the defined parameters (LF-HF) can define the active phase and sleep phase in patients with lung cancer who undergo chemotherapy or targeted chemotherapy, allowing a deduction of their sleep patterns.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document