The connection between heart rate variability (HRV), neurological health, and cognition: A literature review

Xianghong Arakaki; Rebecca J. Arechavala; Elizabeth H. Choy; Jayveeritz Bautista; Bishop Bliss; Cathleen Molloy; Daw An Wu; Shinsuke Shimojo; Yang Jiang; Michael T. Kleinman; Robert A. Kloner

doi:10.3389/fnins.2023.1055445

The connection between heart rate variability (HRV), neurological health, and cognition: A literature review

Xianghong Arakaki, Rebecca J. Arechavala, Elizabeth H. Choy, Jayveeritz Bautista, Bishop Bliss, Cathleen Molloy, Daw An Wu, Shinsuke Shimojo, Yang Jiang, Michael T. Kleinman, Robert A. Kloner

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

The heart and brain have bi-directional influences on each other, including autonomic regulation and hemodynamic connections. Heart rate variability (HRV) measures variation in beat-to-beat intervals. New findings about disorganized sinus rhythm (erratic rhythm, quantified as heart rate fragmentation, HRF) are discussed and suggest overestimation of autonomic activities in HRV changes, especially during aging or cardiovascular events. When excluding HRF, HRV is regulated via the central autonomic network (CAN). HRV acts as a proxy of autonomic activity and is associated with executive functions, decision-making, and emotional regulation in our health and wellbeing. Abnormal changes of HRV (e.g., decreased vagal functioning) are observed in various neurological conditions including mild cognitive impairments, dementia, mild traumatic brain injury, migraine, COVID-19, stroke, epilepsy, and psychological conditions (e.g., anxiety, stress, and schizophrenia). Efforts are needed to improve the dynamic and intriguing heart-brain interactions.

Original language	English
Article number	1055445
Journal	Frontiers in Neuroscience
Volume	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1055445
State	Published - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 Arakaki, Arechavala, Choy, Bautista, Bliss, Molloy, Wu, Shimojo, Jiang, Kleinman and Kloner.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Aging (grant number: R01AG063857).

Funders	Funder number
National Institute on Aging	R01AG063857

Keywords

cognition
erratic sinus rhythm
heart and brain
heart rate fragmentation
heart rate variability
inhibitory control
neurological conditions
vagal functioning

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Neuroscience

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10.3389/fnins.2023.1055445

Cite this

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title = "The connection between heart rate variability (HRV), neurological health, and cognition: A literature review",

abstract = "The heart and brain have bi-directional influences on each other, including autonomic regulation and hemodynamic connections. Heart rate variability (HRV) measures variation in beat-to-beat intervals. New findings about disorganized sinus rhythm (erratic rhythm, quantified as heart rate fragmentation, HRF) are discussed and suggest overestimation of autonomic activities in HRV changes, especially during aging or cardiovascular events. When excluding HRF, HRV is regulated via the central autonomic network (CAN). HRV acts as a proxy of autonomic activity and is associated with executive functions, decision-making, and emotional regulation in our health and wellbeing. Abnormal changes of HRV (e.g., decreased vagal functioning) are observed in various neurological conditions including mild cognitive impairments, dementia, mild traumatic brain injury, migraine, COVID-19, stroke, epilepsy, and psychological conditions (e.g., anxiety, stress, and schizophrenia). Efforts are needed to improve the dynamic and intriguing heart-brain interactions.",

keywords = "cognition, erratic sinus rhythm, heart and brain, heart rate fragmentation, heart rate variability, inhibitory control, neurological conditions, vagal functioning",

author = "Xianghong Arakaki and Arechavala, {Rebecca J.} and Choy, {Elizabeth H.} and Jayveeritz Bautista and Bishop Bliss and Cathleen Molloy and Wu, {Daw An} and Shinsuke Shimojo and Yang Jiang and Kleinman, {Michael T.} and Kloner, {Robert A.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2023 Arakaki, Arechavala, Choy, Bautista, Bliss, Molloy, Wu, Shimojo, Jiang, Kleinman and Kloner.",

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AU - Bautista, Jayveeritz

AU - Bliss, Bishop

AU - Molloy, Cathleen

AU - Wu, Daw An

AU - Shimojo, Shinsuke

AU - Jiang, Yang

AU - Kleinman, Michael T.

AU - Kloner, Robert A.

PY - 2023

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N2 - The heart and brain have bi-directional influences on each other, including autonomic regulation and hemodynamic connections. Heart rate variability (HRV) measures variation in beat-to-beat intervals. New findings about disorganized sinus rhythm (erratic rhythm, quantified as heart rate fragmentation, HRF) are discussed and suggest overestimation of autonomic activities in HRV changes, especially during aging or cardiovascular events. When excluding HRF, HRV is regulated via the central autonomic network (CAN). HRV acts as a proxy of autonomic activity and is associated with executive functions, decision-making, and emotional regulation in our health and wellbeing. Abnormal changes of HRV (e.g., decreased vagal functioning) are observed in various neurological conditions including mild cognitive impairments, dementia, mild traumatic brain injury, migraine, COVID-19, stroke, epilepsy, and psychological conditions (e.g., anxiety, stress, and schizophrenia). Efforts are needed to improve the dynamic and intriguing heart-brain interactions.

AB - The heart and brain have bi-directional influences on each other, including autonomic regulation and hemodynamic connections. Heart rate variability (HRV) measures variation in beat-to-beat intervals. New findings about disorganized sinus rhythm (erratic rhythm, quantified as heart rate fragmentation, HRF) are discussed and suggest overestimation of autonomic activities in HRV changes, especially during aging or cardiovascular events. When excluding HRF, HRV is regulated via the central autonomic network (CAN). HRV acts as a proxy of autonomic activity and is associated with executive functions, decision-making, and emotional regulation in our health and wellbeing. Abnormal changes of HRV (e.g., decreased vagal functioning) are observed in various neurological conditions including mild cognitive impairments, dementia, mild traumatic brain injury, migraine, COVID-19, stroke, epilepsy, and psychological conditions (e.g., anxiety, stress, and schizophrenia). Efforts are needed to improve the dynamic and intriguing heart-brain interactions.

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KW - heart rate variability

KW - inhibitory control

KW - neurological conditions

KW - vagal functioning

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The connection between heart rate variability (HRV), neurological health, and cognition: A literature review

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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