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Influence of cardiac afferent input on heart-brain synchronization and cognitive performance

July 2002
International Journal of Psychophysiology 45(1):72-73

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It is well-established that cardiac afferent neurological input to the brain not only facilitates homeostatic regulation but also influences cognitive processing. We have previously shown that positive emotions are associated with a distinct mode of physiological functioning termed physiological coherence. This mode is characterized by a sine wave-like pattern in the heart rate variability waveform (heart rhythm coherence), entrainment of physiological oscillatory systems, and increased parasympathetic activity and vascular resonance.

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Content uploaded by Rollin McCraty

Content may be subject to copyright.

Influence of Cardiac Afferent Input on Heart-Brain

Synchronization and Cognitive Performance

Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., Institute of HeartMath, Boulder Creek, California, USA

Presented at the 11th World Congress of Psychophysiology, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, July-Aug. 2002,

and published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology 2002;45(1-2):72-73.

Purchase an expanded version of this paper.

It is well-established that cardiac afferent neurological input to the brain not only facilitates

homeostatic regulation but also influences cognitive processing. We have previously shown that

positive emotions are associated with a distinct mode of physiological functioning termed

physiological coherence. This mode is characterized by a sine wave-like pattern in the heart rate

variability waveform (heart rhythm coherence), entrainment of physiological oscillatory systems,

and increased parasympathetic activity and vascular resonance.

This study investigated the relationship between physiological coherence, heart-brain

synchronization, and cognitive performance in 30 healthy individuals. Subjects performed an

oddball auditory discrimination task before and after practicing an emotion refocusing

technique intended to instill a positive emotional state and increase physiological coherence.

Heart rhythm coherence (derived from the ECG), respiration, pulse transit time, and heartbeat

evoked potentials were measured.

Subjects demonstrated significantly increased heart rhythm coherence during the emotion

refocusing exercise as compared to baseline and a control group that performed a relaxation

exercise. It was found that EEG alpha activity is synchronized to the cardiac cycle and that

ECG-alpha synchronization significantly increases during periods of high heart rhythm

coherence. Increased heart rhythm coherence was associated with significant improvements in

cognitive performance (decreased reaction times) while relaxation was not. Additionally, there

was a significant relationship between heart rhythm coherence and reaction times across all

conditions.

These observations suggest that the pattern of cardiac afferent neurological input can inhibit or

facilitate cognitive processing beyond the well-documented micro-rhythm of cortical

inhibition/facilitation associated with simple changes in heart rate. Furthermore, findings suggest

that self-induction of positive emotional states modifies heart-brain dynamics, providing a

potential physiological link between positive emotions and improvements in faculties such as

motor skills, focused attention, and discrimination.

Keywords: Cardiac afferent input, cognitive performance, heart rate variability, positive emotions

Main topics: Cardiovascular Psychophysiology, Psychophysiology of Emotions, Event-Related Brain

Potentials (ERPs)

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