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The aim of this paper is to set the stage for the vagal tank theory, showcasing a functional resource account for self-regulation. The vagal tank theory, building on neurophysiological, cognitive and social psychology approaches, will introduce a physiological indicator for self-regulation that has mainly been ignored from cognitive and social psychology, cardiac vagal control (also referred to as cardiac vagal activity). Cardiac vagal control reflects the contribution of the vagus nerve, the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system, to cardiac regulation. We propose cardiac vagal control to be an indicator of how efficiently self-regulatory resources are mobilized and used. Three systematic levels of cardiac vagal control analysis are suggested: resting, reactivity, and recovery. Based on this physiological indicator we derive the metaphor of the vagal tank, which can get depleted and replenished. Overall, the vagal tank theory will enable to integrate previous findings from different disciplines and to stimulate new research questions, predictions, and designs regarding self-regulation.

The neurovisceral integration model aims to account for the complex interplay between physiological, cognitive, and emotion regulation processes through their support by common cortico–subcortical neural circuits. According to the model, vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV) serves as a peripheral index of the functioning of these circuits, with higher levels of resting HRV reflecting more optimal functioning, to support goal-directed behaviour and adaptability to environmental demands. Although increased cognitive flexibility has been related to higher resting HRV, this has not been assessed in the context of emotional information to examine the interplay between cognition and emotion. Therefore, we investigated ( n = 109) the relationship between resting HRV and performance on a task-switching paradigm in which participants shift attention between affective and nonaffective aspects of emotional material. Resting HRV was not associated with flexibility in processing of positive material, but more efficient shifting of attention (greater flexibility) from affective to nonaffective aspects of negative information was related to lower resting HRV. The avoidance theory of worry and anxiety, as well as empirical evidence, links anxiety to attentional avoidance of negative information. Our findings therefore support the neurovisceral integration model such that when greater flexibility can facilitate attentional avoidance of negative information—as seen in anxiety—it is related to lower resting HRV.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is non-invasive and commonly used for monitoring responses to training loads, fitness, or overreaching in athletes. Yet, the recording duration for a series of RR-intervals varies from 1 to 15 min in the literature. The aim of the present work was to assess the minimum record duration to obtain reliable HRV results. RR-intervals from 159 orthostatic tests (7 min supine, SU, followed by 6 min standing, ST) were analyzed. Reference windows were 4 min in SU (min 3-7) and 4 min in ST (min 9-13). Those windows were subsequently divided and the analyses were repeated on eight different fractioned windows: the first min (0-1), the second min (1-2), the third min (2-3), the fourth min (3-4), the first 2 min (0-2), the last 2 min (2-4), the first 3 min (0-3), and the last 3 min (1-4). Correlation and Bland & Altman statistical analyses were systematically performed. The analysis window could be shortened to 0-2 instead of 0-4 for RMSSD only, whereas the 4-min window was necessary for LF and total power. Since there is a need for 1 min of baseline to obtain a steady signal prior the analysis window, we conclude that studies relying on RMSSD may shorten the windows to 3 min (= 1+2) in SU or seated position only and to 6 min (= 1+2 min SU plus 1+2 min ST) if there is an orthostatic test. Studies relying on time- and frequency-domain parameters need a minimum of 5 min (= 1+4) min SU or seated position only but require 10 min (= 1+4 min SU plus 1+4 min ST) for the orthostatic test.

An accurate method for detecting vital signs obtained from a Doppler radar sensor is proposed. A Doppler radar sensor can remotely obtain vital signs such as heartbeat and respiration rate, but the vital signs obtained by using the sensor do not show clear peaks like in electrocardiography (ECG) because of the operating characteristics of the radar. The proposed peak detection algorithm extracts the vital signs from the raw data. The algorithm shows the mean accuracy of 96.78% compared to the peak count from the reference ECG sensor and a processing time approximately two times faster than the gradient-based algorithm. To verify whether heart rate variability (HRV) analysis similar to that with an ECG sensor is possible for a radar sensor when applying the proposed method, the continuous parameter variations of the HRV in the time domain are analyzed using data processed with the proposed peak detection algorithm. Experimental results with six subjects show that the proposed method can obtain the heart rate with high accuracy but cannot obtain the information for an HRV analysis because the proposed method cannot overcome the characteristics of the radar sensor itself.

The neurovisceral integration model proposes that heart rate variability (HRV) is linked to prefrontal cortex activity via the vagus nerve, which connects the heart and the brain. HRV, an index of cardiac vagal tone, has been found to predict performance on several cognitive control tasks that rely on the prefrontal cortex. However, the link between HRV and the core cognitive control function \"shifting\" between tasks and mental sets is under-investigated. Therefore, the present study tested the neurovisceral integration model by examining, in 90 participants, the relationship between vagally mediated resting-state HRV and performance in a task-switching paradigm that provides a relatively process-pure measure of cognitive flexibility. As predicted, participants with higher resting-state HRV (indexed both by time domain and frequency domain measures) showed smaller switch costs (i.e., greater flexibility) than individuals with lower resting-state HRV. Our findings support the neurovisceral integration model and indicate that higher levels of vagally mediated resting-state HRV promote cognitive flexibility.

This study evaluated the validity of a photoplethysmography (PPG)-based sensor (Polar OH1) for measuring heart rate variability (HRV), compared to an electrocardiography (ECG)-based reference device (Polar H10), considering body position (supine vs. seated), recording duration (2 vs. 5 min), sex, and age (≤40 vs. >40 years). HRV parameters (RMSSD and SDNN) were analyzed in 31 healthy adults using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland–Altman analyses. Excellent reliability was observed between the devices in the supine position (RMSSD: ICC = 0.955; SDNN: ICC = 0.980), and good to excellent reliability in the seated position (RMSSD: ICC = 0.834; SDNN: ICC = 0.921). Mean biases ranged from −2.1 ms to −8.1 ms, with wider limits of agreement in the seated condition. The change in posture from supine to seated resulted in moderate reliability for both metrics, regardless of the device. Only marginal differences were found between 2- and 5-min recordings. Moreover, agreement was less consistent in older participants and females, suggesting potential effects of age and sex on signal quality. These findings support the use of PPG-based devices for short-term HRV assessment at rest, while highlighting the importance of considering posture, age, and sex when interpreting the results.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a risk factor for mental and physical health problems in adulthood, potentially mediated by long-term autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation. To explore this link, the association between CM and vagal-sensitive heart rate variability (HRV) metrics in adults was examined, accounting for biopsychosocial factors. Data from 4,420 participants in the Study of Health in Pomerania were analyzed, with CM assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. HRV was derived from 10-second electrocardiograms and 5-minute pre-sleep polysomnographic recordings. Post hoc analyses examined abuse and neglect. CM was associated with reduced HRV (logRMSSD:  = -0.20 [95%-CI: -0.28, -0.12],  = 1.2e-06), driven by neglect (  = -0.27 [-0.35, -0.18],  = 1.9e-09) rather than abuse (  = 0.01 [-0.12, 0.14],  = 1). Adjustments for age, sex, and medication attenuated these effects, which remained robust after additionally controlling for socioeconomic, lifestyle, body mass index, and depressive symptoms (fully adjusted model: CM  = -0.08 [-0.15, -0.001],  = .047; neglect  = -0.11 [-0.19, -0.03],  = .009; abuse  = -0.08 [-0.20, -0.04],  = .174). Age-related differences were found, with reduced HRV in both young and older participants but not in middle-aged participants (fully adjusted: (2,743) = 6.75,  = .001). This study highlights long-term ANS dysregulation following CM, particularly neglect, indicated by altered vagal-sensitive HRV metrics. Although small in magnitude, the effect on the ANS was independent of adult biopsychosocial factors. This long-term dysregulation may contribute to an increased risk of adverse health outcomes in adulthood.

This study examined the within-session (same-day) test–retest reliability of heart rate (HR) and parasympathetic modulation, assessed using the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), across exercise and recovery phases in trained soccer players. Twenty-seven male soccer players (age: 24.9 ± 3.7 years) completed a standardized soccer training session. HR and RMSSD were recorded using an ECG-based chest-strap monitor at rest, pre-exercise, and at ~10–20 min, 1 h, and 3 h post-exercise. At each time point, two consecutive 5 min seated recordings were obtained under identical conditions. Test–retest reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC(3,1)), standard error of measurement (SEM), coefficient of variation (CV%), minimal detectable change (MDC95), paired-samples t-tests, and Hedges’ g effect sizes. HR demonstrated excellent reliability across all time points (ICC = 0.980–0.994; SEM = 0.87–1.25 bpm; CV% = 1.33–3.70%). RMSSD showed excellent reliability at rest (ICC = 0.944) and pre-exercise (ICC = 0.918), moderate reliability during early recovery (~10–20 min; ICC = 0.551), and good reliability at 1 h (ICC = 0.826) and 3 h post-exercise (ICC = 0.873). No significant systematic differences were observed between test and retest measurements (all p > 0.05), and effect sizes were trivial. These findings indicate that within-session reliability of HR remains consistently high across exercise and recovery phases, whereas RMSSD reliability varies according to measurement timing, particularly during early recovery.

Breathing techniques, particularly slow-paced breathing (SPB), have gained popularity among athletes due to their potential to enhance performance by increasing cardiac vagal activity (CVA), which in turn can help manage stress and regulate emotions. However, it is still unclear whether the frequency of SPB affects its effectiveness in increasing CVA. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of a brief SPB intervention (i.e., 5 min) on CVA using heart rate variability (HRV) measurement as an index. A total of 75 athletes (22 female; Mage = 22.32; age range = 19–31) participated in the study, attending one lab session where they performed six breathing exercises, including SPB at different frequencies (5 cycles per minute (cpm), 5.5 cpm, 6 cpm, 6.5 cpm, 7 cpm), and a control condition of spontaneous breathing. The study found that CVA was significantly higher in all SPB conditions compared to the control condition, as indexed by both root mean square of the successive differences (RMSSD) and low-frequency HRV (LF-HRVms2). Interestingly, LF-HRVms2 was more sensitive in differentiating the respiratory frequencies than RMSSD. These results suggest that SPB at a range of 5 cpm to 7 cpm can be an effective method to increase CVA and potentially improve stress management and emotion regulation in athletes. This short SPB exercise can be a simple yet useful tool for athletes to use during competitive scenarios and short breaks in competitions. Overall, these findings highlight the potential benefits of incorporating SPB into athletes’ training and competition routines.

Application of ultra–short Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is desirable in order to increase the applicability of HRV features to wrist-worn wearable devices equipped with heart rate sensors that are nowadays becoming more and more popular in people’s daily life. This study is focused in particular on the the two most used HRV parameters, i.e., the standard deviation of inter-beat intervals (SDNN) and the root Mean Squared error of successive inter-beat intervals differences (rMSSD). The huge problem of extracting these HRV parameters from wrist-worn devices is that their data are affected by the motion artifacts. For this reason, estimating the error caused by this huge quantity of missing values is fundamental to obtain reliable HRV parameters from these devices. To this aim, we simulate missing values induced by motion artifacts (from 0 to 70%) in an ultra-short time window (i.e., from 4 min to 30 s) by the random walk Gilbert burst model in 22 young healthy subjects. In addition, 30 s and 2 min ultra-short time windows are required to estimate rMSSD and SDNN, respectively. Moreover, due to the fact that ultra-short time window does not permit assessing very low frequencies, and the SDNN is highly affected by these frequencies, the bias for estimating SDNN continues to increase as the time window length decreases. On the contrary, a small error is detected in rMSSD up to 30 s due to the fact that it is highly affected by high frequencies which are possible to be evaluated even if the time window length decreases. Finally, the missing values have a small effect on rMSSD and SDNN estimation. As a matter of fact, the HRV parameter errors increase slightly as the percentage of missing values increase.