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Modulation of respiratory sinus arrhythmia by respiration rate and volume: Stability across posture and volume variations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 September 2001

THOMAS RITZ ,
MIRIAM THÖNS  and
BERNHARD DAHME
THOMAS RITZ
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University and VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, USA
MIRIAM THÖNS
Affiliation:
Psychological Institute III, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
BERNHARD DAHME
Affiliation:
Psychological Institute III, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Abstract

We tested the assumption that the slope of the within-individual regression equation of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) normalized by tidal volume (VT) upon respiratory cycle length (TTOT) can characterize ventilatory RSA modulation independent of cardiac vagal tone, whereas the intercept is varying as a function of vagal tone. We also explored whether a variation of VT is necessary to estimate slopes reliably. Four 3-min sequences paced at 8–18 cycles/min were performed supine and standing. Participants also breathed the same sequences in supine posture with voluntarily varying VT. The mean slope of RSA/VT upon TTOT was identical, and the mean intercept was lower for standing than supine (spontaneous VT) conditions. Stability of slopes was low between body postures, and was higher between spontaneous VT versus varying VT at the same body posture. The regression of RSA/VT upon TTOT allows for a valid estimation of ventilatory influences on RSA.

Keywords

Respiratory sinus arrhythmiaRespirationPaced breathingVagal tonePosture
Type
BRIEF REPORT
Information
Psychophysiology , Volume 38 , Issue 5 , September 2001 , pp. 858 - 862
Copyright
2001 Society for Psychophysiological Research

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