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Updated: May 10, 2026
07:49
A Pacing-Controlled Procedure for the Assessment of Heart Rate-Dependent Diastolic Functions in Murine Heart Failure Models
Published on: July 21, 2023
Volitional control of the heart rate
Ahmed Abukonna1, Xiaolin Yu, Chong Zhang
1Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 710049 Xi'an, China.
Summary
Healthy individuals can voluntarily control their heart rate (HR) and autonomic nervous system activity. This study shows brain-heart interactions during volitional HR control without biofeedback.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cardiology
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- The heart rate is primarily regulated by the autonomic nervous system.
- Understanding brain-heart interactions is crucial for volitional cardiovascular control.
- Exploring non-biofeedback strategies for heart rate modulation is of interest.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain-heart interactions during volitional control of heart rate.
- To assess the effectiveness of volition as a strategy to control heart rate without biofeedback.
- To identify cortical areas involved in voluntary heart rate modulation.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-seven healthy males participated.
- Subjects voluntarily altered heart rate (HR) by 10% faster or slower, guided by auditory cues.
- Heart rate variability (HRV) and electroencephalography (EEG) were analyzed using power spectral analysis and partial directed coherence (PDC).
Main Results:
- HR (slow) task: decreased HR and sympathetic activity; increased parasympathetic activity and parietal EEG alpha band power. Increased information flow from parietal areas to RR intervals.
- HR (quick) task: increased HR, sympathetic activity, and frontal/central EEG beta band power; decreased parasympathetic activity. Increased information flow from frontal/central areas to RR intervals.
Conclusions:
- Volitional control of heart rate is achievable without biofeedback.
- Specific cortical areas and brain-heart information flow patterns are associated with voluntary heart rate modulation.
- Findings suggest a direct link between cortical activity and autonomic regulation of the heart.
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