The Influence of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Cardiac Regulation and Functional Brain Connectivity
BackgroundHeart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback has a beneficial impact on perceived stress and emotion regulation. However, its impact on brain function is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of an 8-week HRV-biofeedback intervention on functional brain connectivity...
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doaj-c03a0d8d2b974d77acf1c482d9280a232021-06-29T04:18:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2021-06-011510.3389/fnins.2021.691988691988The Influence of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Cardiac Regulation and Functional Brain ConnectivityAndy Schumann0Feliberto de la Cruz1Stefanie Köhler2Stefanie Köhler3Lisa Brotte4Lisa Brotte5Karl-Jürgen Bär6Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, GermanyLab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, GermanyLab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, GermanyLab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, GermanyInstitute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, Essen University Hospital, Essen, GermanyLab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, GermanyBackgroundHeart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback has a beneficial impact on perceived stress and emotion regulation. However, its impact on brain function is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of an 8-week HRV-biofeedback intervention on functional brain connectivity in healthy subjects.MethodsHRV biofeedback was carried out in five sessions per week, including four at home and one in our lab. A control group played jump‘n’run games instead of the training. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted before and after the intervention in both groups. To compute resting state functional connectivity (RSFC), we defined regions of interest in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and a total of 260 independent anatomical regions for network-based analysis. Changes of RSFC of the VMPFC to other brain regions were compared between groups. Temporal changes of HRV during the resting state recording were correlated to dynamic functional connectivity of the VMPFC.ResultsFirst, we corroborated the role of the VMPFC in cardiac autonomic regulation. We found that temporal changes of HRV were correlated to dynamic changes of prefrontal connectivity, especially to the middle cingulate cortex, the left insula, supplementary motor area, dorsal and ventral lateral prefrontal regions. The biofeedback group showed a drop in heart rate by 5.2 beats/min and an increased SDNN as a measure of HRV by 8.6 ms (18%) after the intervention. Functional connectivity of the VMPFC increased mainly to the insula, the amygdala, the middle cingulate cortex, and lateral prefrontal regions after biofeedback intervention when compared to changes in the control group. Network-based statistic showed that biofeedback had an influence on a broad functional network of brain regions.ConclusionOur results show that increased heart rate variability induced by HRV-biofeedback is accompanied by changes in functional brain connectivity during resting state.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.691988/fullautonomic nervous systemresting state functional connectivityprefrontal cortexinsulacingulate cortex |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Andy Schumann Feliberto de la Cruz Stefanie Köhler Stefanie Köhler Lisa Brotte Lisa Brotte Karl-Jürgen Bär |
spellingShingle |
Andy Schumann Feliberto de la Cruz Stefanie Köhler Stefanie Köhler Lisa Brotte Lisa Brotte Karl-Jürgen Bär The Influence of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Cardiac Regulation and Functional Brain Connectivity Frontiers in Neuroscience autonomic nervous system resting state functional connectivity prefrontal cortex insula cingulate cortex |
author_facet |
Andy Schumann Feliberto de la Cruz Stefanie Köhler Stefanie Köhler Lisa Brotte Lisa Brotte Karl-Jürgen Bär |
author_sort |
Andy Schumann |
title |
The Influence of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Cardiac Regulation and Functional Brain Connectivity |
title_short |
The Influence of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Cardiac Regulation and Functional Brain Connectivity |
title_full |
The Influence of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Cardiac Regulation and Functional Brain Connectivity |
title_fullStr |
The Influence of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Cardiac Regulation and Functional Brain Connectivity |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Influence of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Cardiac Regulation and Functional Brain Connectivity |
title_sort |
influence of heart rate variability biofeedback on cardiac regulation and functional brain connectivity |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Neuroscience |
issn |
1662-453X |
publishDate |
2021-06-01 |
description |
BackgroundHeart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback has a beneficial impact on perceived stress and emotion regulation. However, its impact on brain function is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of an 8-week HRV-biofeedback intervention on functional brain connectivity in healthy subjects.MethodsHRV biofeedback was carried out in five sessions per week, including four at home and one in our lab. A control group played jump‘n’run games instead of the training. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted before and after the intervention in both groups. To compute resting state functional connectivity (RSFC), we defined regions of interest in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and a total of 260 independent anatomical regions for network-based analysis. Changes of RSFC of the VMPFC to other brain regions were compared between groups. Temporal changes of HRV during the resting state recording were correlated to dynamic functional connectivity of the VMPFC.ResultsFirst, we corroborated the role of the VMPFC in cardiac autonomic regulation. We found that temporal changes of HRV were correlated to dynamic changes of prefrontal connectivity, especially to the middle cingulate cortex, the left insula, supplementary motor area, dorsal and ventral lateral prefrontal regions. The biofeedback group showed a drop in heart rate by 5.2 beats/min and an increased SDNN as a measure of HRV by 8.6 ms (18%) after the intervention. Functional connectivity of the VMPFC increased mainly to the insula, the amygdala, the middle cingulate cortex, and lateral prefrontal regions after biofeedback intervention when compared to changes in the control group. Network-based statistic showed that biofeedback had an influence on a broad functional network of brain regions.ConclusionOur results show that increased heart rate variability induced by HRV-biofeedback is accompanied by changes in functional brain connectivity during resting state. |
topic |
autonomic nervous system resting state functional connectivity prefrontal cortex insula cingulate cortex |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.691988/full |
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