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Contribution of tonic vagal modulation of heart rate, central respiratory drive, respiratory depth, and respiratory frequency to respiratory sinus arrhythmia during mental stress and physical exercise

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 June 2002

JAN H. HOUTVEEN ,
SIMON RIETVELD  and
ECO J.C. DE GEUS
JAN H. HOUTVEEN
Affiliation:
Department of Health Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
SIMON RIETVELD
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
ECO J.C. DE GEUS
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Free University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Abstract

This study tested various sources of changes in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Twenty-two healthy participants participated in three experimental conditions (mental stress, relaxation, and mild physical exercise) that each consisted of three breathing parts (normal breathing, breathing compressed room air, and breathing compressed 5% CO2-enriched air). Independent contributions to changes in RSA were found for changes in tonic vagal modulation of heart rate, central respiratory drive (i.e., PaCO2), respiratory depth, and respiratory frequency. The relative contributions to changes in RSA differed for mental stress and physical exercise. It is concluded that uncorrected RSA will suffice to index within-subject changes in tonic vagal modulation of heart rate in most situations. However, if the central respiratory drive is expected to change, RSA should ideally be corrected for changes in PaCO2, respiratory depth, and respiratory frequency.

Keywords

Spectral HR powerCO2RespirationRespiratory sinus arrhythmiaPreejection period
Type
Research Article
Information
Psychophysiology , Volume 39 , Issue 4 , July 2002 , pp. 427 - 436
Copyright
2002 Society for Psychophysiological Research

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