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Szulczewski MT, D'Agostini M, Van Diest I. Expiratory-gated Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) does not Further Augment Heart Rate Variability During Slow Breathing at 0.1 Hz. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2023; 48:323-333. [PMID: 36920567 PMCID: PMC10412484 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-023-09584-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
As cardiac vagal control is a hallmark of good health and self-regulatory capacity, researchers are seeking ways to increase vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) in an accessible and non-invasive way. Findings with transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) have been disappointing in this respect, as its effects on vmHRV are inconsistent at best. It has been speculated that combining taVNS with other established ways to increase vmHRV may produce synergistic effects. To test this idea, the present study combined taVNS with slow breathing in a cross-over design. A total of 22 participants took part in two sessions of breathing at 6 breaths/min: once combined with taVNS, and once combined with sham stimulation. Electrical stimulation (100 Hz, 400 µs) was applied during expiration, either to the tragus and cavum conchae (taVNS) or to the earlobe (sham). ECG was recorded during baseline, 20-minutes of stimulation, and the recovery period. Frequentist and Bayesian analyses showed no effect of taVNS (in comparison to sham stimulation) on the root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats, mean inter-beat interval, or spectral power of heart rate variability at a breathing frequency of 0.1 Hz. These findings suggest that expiratory-gated taVNS combined with the stimulation parameters examined here does not produce acute effects on vmHRV during slow breathing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martina D'Agostini
- Research Group Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ilse Van Diest
- Research Group Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Kumar A, Kala N, Telles S. Cerebrovascular Dynamics Associated with Yoga Breathing and Breath Awareness. Int J Yoga 2022; 15:19-24. [PMID: 35444370 PMCID: PMC9015084 DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_179_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims Breath frequency can alter cerebral blood flow. The study aimed to determine bilateral middle cerebral arterial hemodynamics in high-frequency yoga breathing (HFYB) and slow frequency alternate nostril yoga breathing (ANYB) using transcranial Doppler sonography. Methods Healthy male volunteers were assessed in two separate trials before, during, and after HFYB (2.0 Hz for 1 min, n = 16) and ANYB (12 breaths per minute for 5 min, n = 22). HFYB and ANYB were separately compared to breath awareness (BAW) and to control sessions. Statistical Analysis The data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni adjusted post hoc tests. Results During HFYB there was a decrease in end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and mean flow velocity (MFV) (P < 0.01 for left and P < 0.05 for right middle cerebral arteries; MCA) with an increase in pulsatility index (PI) for the right MCA (P < 0.05). During ANYB, there was a bilateral decrease in peak systolic velocity (P < 0.05 for left and P < 0.01 for right MCA), EDV (P < 0.01) and MFV (P < 0.01 for left and P < 0.001 for right MCA) and an increase in PI (P < 0.01). During BAW of the two sessions there was a decrease in lateralized flow and end-diastolic velocities (P < 0.05) and an increase in PI (P < 0.05). Conclusions Changes in peak flow velocities and pulsatility indices during and after HFYB, ANYB, and BAW suggest decreased cerebrovascular blood flow and increased flow resistance based on different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Kumar
- Division of Yoga and Clinical Neurophysiology, Patanjali Research Foundation, Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Niranjan Kala
- Division of Yoga and Clinical Neurophysiology, Patanjali Research Foundation, Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Shirley Telles
- Division of Yoga and Clinical Neurophysiology, Patanjali Research Foundation, Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India,Address for correspondence: Dr. Shirley Telles, Patanjali Research Foundation, Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar - 249 405, Uttarakhand, India. E-mail:
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Laborde S, Allen MS, Borges U, Iskra M, Zammit N, You M, Hosang T, Mosley E, Dosseville F. Psychophysiological effects of slow-paced breathing at six cycles per minute with or without heart rate variability biofeedback. Psychophysiology 2021; 59:e13952. [PMID: 34633670 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback, referring to slow-paced breathing (SPB) realized while visualizing a heart rate, HRV, and/or respiratory signal, has become an adjunct treatment for a large range of psychologic and medical conditions. However, the underlying mechanisms explaining the effectiveness of HRV biofeedback still need to be uncovered. This study aimed to disentangle the specific effects of HRV biofeedback from the effects of SPB realized alone. In total, 112 participants took part in the study. The parameters assessed were emotional (valence, arousal, and control) and perceived stress intensity as self-report variables and the root mean square of the successive differences (RMSSD) as a physiologic variable. A main effect of condition was found for emotional valence only, valence being more positive overall in the SPB-HRVB condition. A main effect of time was observed for all dependent variables. However, no main effects for the condition or time x condition interaction effects were observed. Results showed that for PRE and POST comparisons (referring, respectively, to before and after SPB), both SPB-HRVB and SPB-NoHRVB conditions resulted in a more negative emotional valence, lower emotional arousal, higher emotional control, and higher RMSSD. Future research might investigate psychophysiological differences between SPB-HRVB and SPB-NoHRVB across different time periods (e.g., long-term interventions), and in response to diverse psychophysiological stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Laborde
- Department of Performance Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Normandie Université, UFR STAPS, EA 4260 CESAMS, Caen, France
| | - Mark S Allen
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Uirassu Borges
- Department of Performance Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Department of Health & Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maša Iskra
- Department of Performance Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nina Zammit
- Department of Performance Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Min You
- Normandie Université, UFR Psychologie, EA3918 CERREV, Caen, France
| | - Thomas Hosang
- Experimental Psychology Unit, Helmut Schmidt University/University of the Federal Armed Forces, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Emma Mosley
- Department of Sport Science and Performance, School of Sport, Health and Social Science, Solent University Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Fabrice Dosseville
- Normandie Université, UMR-S 1075 COMETE, Caen, France.,INSERM, UMR-S 1075 COMETE, Caen, France
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Szulczewski MT. Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Combined With Slow Breathing: Speculations on Potential Applications and Technical Considerations. Neuromodulation 2021; 25:380-394. [PMID: 35396070 DOI: 10.1111/ner.13458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a relatively novel noninvasive neurostimulation method that is believed to mimic the effects of invasive cervical VNS. It has recently been suggested that the effectiveness of taVNS can be enhanced by combining it with controlled slow breathing. Slow breathing modulates the activity of the vagus nerve and is used in behavioral medicine to decrease psychophysiological arousal. Based on studies that examine the effects of taVNS and slow breathing separately, this article speculates on some of the conditions in which this combination treatment may prove effective. Furthermore, based on findings from studies on the optimization of taVNS and slow breathing, this article provides guidance on how to combine taVNS with slow breathing. MATERIALS AND METHODS A nonsystematic review. RESULTS Both taVNS and slow breathing are considered promising add-on therapeutic approaches for anxiety and depressive disorders, chronic pain, cardiovascular diseases, and insomnia. Therefore, taVNS combined with slow breathing may produce additive or even synergistic beneficial effects in these conditions. Studies on respiratory-gated taVNS during spontaneous breathing suggest that taVNS should be delivered during expiration. Therefore, this article proposes to use taVNS as a breathing pacer to indicate when and for how long to exhale during slow breathing exercises. CONCLUSIONS Combining taVNS with slow breathing seems to be a promising hybrid neurostimulation and behavioral intervention.
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Fournié C, Chouchou F, Dalleau G, Caderby T, Cabrera Q, Verkindt C. Heart rate variability biofeedback in chronic disease management: A systematic review. Complement Ther Med 2021; 60:102750. [PMID: 34118390 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) is a non-pharmacological intervention used in the management of chronic diseases. METHOD A systematic search was performed according to eligibility criteria including adult chronic patients, HRVB as main treatment with or without control conditions, and psychophysiological outcomes as dependent variables. RESULTS In total, 29 articles were included. Reported results showed the feasibility of HRVB in chronic patients without adverse effects. Significant positive effects were found in various patient profiles on hypertension and cardiovascular prognosis, inflammatory state, asthma disorders, depression and anxiety, sleep disturbances, cognitive performance and pain, which could be associated with improved quality of life. Improvements in clinical outcomes co-occurred with improvements in heart rate variability, suggesting possible regulatory effect of HRVB on autonomic function. CONCLUSIONS HRVB could be effective in managing patients with chronic diseases. Further investigations are required to confirm these results and recommend the most effective method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Fournié
- Laboratoire IRISSE EA4075, UFR des Sciences de l'Homme et de l'Environnement, Université de la Réunion, Le Tampon, La Réunion, France.
| | - Florian Chouchou
- Laboratoire IRISSE EA4075, UFR des Sciences de l'Homme et de l'Environnement, Université de la Réunion, Le Tampon, La Réunion, France.
| | - Georges Dalleau
- Laboratoire IRISSE EA4075, UFR des Sciences de l'Homme et de l'Environnement, Université de la Réunion, Le Tampon, La Réunion, France.
| | - Teddy Caderby
- Laboratoire IRISSE EA4075, UFR des Sciences de l'Homme et de l'Environnement, Université de la Réunion, Le Tampon, La Réunion, France.
| | - Quentin Cabrera
- Service d'Hématologie Clinique, CHU Sud Réunion, Saint Pierre, La Réunion, France.
| | - Chantal Verkindt
- Laboratoire IRISSE EA4075, UFR des Sciences de l'Homme et de l'Environnement, Université de la Réunion, Le Tampon, La Réunion, France.
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Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures in children - psychophysiology & dissociative characteristics. Psychiatry Res 2020; 294:113544. [PMID: 33161178 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine psychophysiology and dissociative characteristics of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) in a clinical pediatric setting. A retrospective chart review was conducted over a 5-year period that included children meeting criteria for probable, clinically established or documented PNES. Of these, 33 patients (81%) underwent psychophysiology assessment as part of standardized care and were selected for study inclusion. Ages ranged from 10 to 17 years inclusive (70% female). The majority of patients were found to have some form of autonomic decompensation at baseline (82%) and lack of autonomic recovery from a cognitive stressor (58%). Inhibition of electrodermal skin response to laboratory stressor was associated with significantly longer duration of PNES illness (t=2.65, p=.013), while elevated heart rate (above 90th percentile) was associated with significantly higher frequency of PNES events in the month preceding diagnosis (t=3.1, p=.004). High levels of dissociation and hyperventilation symptoms were self-reported by adolescent patients (n=19) with a moderate degree of positive association (r=0.35, p=.038). The majority of patients (n= 25, 89%) were taught to correct respiratory CO2 levels during a single biofeedback training session. Conclusions: Child PNES populations appear to be characterized by chronic autonomic hyperarousal reflecting severity of their symptoms, which can feasibly be targeted for behavioral treatment.
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Gholamrezaei A, Van Diest I, Aziz Q, Vlaeyen JWS, Van Oudenhove L. Psychophysiological responses to various slow, deep breathing techniques. Psychophysiology 2020; 58:e13712. [PMID: 33111377 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Deep breathing exercises are commonly used for several health conditions including pain and hypertension. Various techniques are available to practice deep breathing, whereas possible differential psychophysiological effects have not been investigated. We compared four deep breathing techniques and examined outcomes in blood pressure variability, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, baroreflex function, and emotional state. Healthy adult volunteers performed pursed-lips breathing, left and right unilateral nostril breathing, and deep breathing with an inspiratory threshold load (loaded breathing), all at a frequency of 0.1 Hz (i.e., controlled breathing) and for three minutes each. Results showed that blood pressure variability was higher during loaded breathing versus other conditions and higher during pursed-lips breathing versus left and right unilateral nostril breathing. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia was higher during loaded breathing versus other conditions and higher during pursed-lips breathing versus left unilateral nostril breathing. The effect of breathing condition on respiratory sinus arrhythmia was mediated by alterations in blood pressure variability. There was no difference between the breathing conditions in baroreflex sensitivity or effectiveness. Participants rated pursed-lips breathing as more calming and pleasant and with more sense of control (vs. other conditions). Overall, among the four tested deep breathing techniques, loaded breathing was associated with enhanced cardiovascular effects and pursed-lips breathing with better emotional responses, while also enhancing cardiovascular effects (albeit less than loaded breathing). These findings can be informative in applying deep breathing techniques as self-management interventions for health conditions, in which baroreceptors stimulation and autonomic and emotional modulations can be beneficial, such as pain and hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Gholamrezaei
- Research Group Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ilse Van Diest
- Research Group Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Qasim Aziz
- Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Wingate Institute of Neurogastroeneterology, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Johan W S Vlaeyen
- Research Group Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Experimental Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lukas Van Oudenhove
- Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Szulczewski MT. Training of paced breathing at 0.1 Hz improves CO2 homeostasis and relaxation during a paced breathing task. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218550. [PMID: 31220170 PMCID: PMC6586331 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Volitional control of breathing often leads to excessive ventilation (hyperventilation) among untrained individuals, which disrupts CO2 homeostasis and may elicit a set of undesirable symptoms. The present study investigated whether seven days of training without any anti-hyperventilation instructions improves CO2 homeostasis during paced breathing at a frequency of 0.1 Hz (6 breaths/minute). Furthermore, the present study investigated the effects of training on breathing-related changes in affective state to examine the hypothesis that training improves the influence of slow paced breathing on affect. A total of 16 participants performed ten minutes of paced breathing every day for seven days. Partial pressure of end-tidal CO2 (PetCO2), symptoms of hyperventilation, affective state (before and after breathing), and pleasantness of the task were measured on the first, fourth, and seventh days of training. Results showed that the drop in PetCO2 significantly decreased with training and none of the participants experienced a drop in PetCO2 below 30 mmHg by day seven of training (except one participant who already had PetCO2 below 30 mmHg during baseline), in comparison to 37.5% of participants on the first day. Paced breathing produced hyperventilation symptoms of mild intensity which did not decrease with training. This suggests that some participants still experienced a drop of PetCO2 that was deep enough to produce noticeable symptoms. Affective state was shifted towards calmness and relaxation during the second and third laboratory measurements, but not during the first measurement. Additionally, the breathing task was perceived as more pleasant during subsequent laboratory measurements. The obtained results showed that training paced breathing at 0.1 Hz led to decrease in hyperventilation. Furthermore, the present study suggests that training paced breathing is necessary to make the task more pleasant and relaxing.
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