Dynamics of heart rate parameters in students with various personal anxiety levels during computerized testing

Students with low level of initial (pre-test) personal anxiety demonstrated a high level of modulating effects on the heart rate in all basic frequency ranges (VLF, LF, and HF) resulting in a greater total power of heart rate variability spectrum compared to students with high personal anxiety. The peculiarities of dynamics of heart rate variability were revealed during a real learning task, which correlated with personal anxiety level. In comparison with highly anxious students, the low-anxious group demonstrated more pronounced drop in the power of all ranges of the heart rate variability spectrum during testing followed by restoration of these power indices to initial levels after completion of the test. In contrast, the drop of the total power of the heart rate variability spectrum and in the power of its individual components persisted in students with high anxiety level even after the end of the testing.