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The age-dependent relationship between resting heart rate variability and functional brain connectivity.
D Kumral1, H L Schaare2, F Beyer3
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; MindBrainBody Institute at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Neuroimage
|October 13, 2018
Summary
Resting heart rate variability (HRV) decreases with age, impacting brain connectivity. This study found age-dependent changes in functional brain networks, particularly in younger adults, highlighting evolving brain-body interactions across the lifespan.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Resting heart rate variability (HRV) reflects parasympathetic nervous system activity and is linked to mental and physical health.
- HRV declines with age and has been associated with brain structure and function, primarily in limbic and cortical midline regions.
- The influence of aging on the relationship between HRV and brain properties remains incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how aging affects the association between resting heart rate variability (HRV) and brain structure and function.
- To examine age-group differences in gray matter volume (GMV) and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in relation to HRV.
- To explore age-dependent functional connectivity patterns associated with HRV.
Main Methods:
- Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and eigenvector centrality mapping (ECM) were used to analyze brain structure and functional connectivity in 388 healthy adults across three age groups (younger, middle-aged, older).
- Resting-state functional connectivity was further assessed using seed-based analysis.
- Resting HRV was quantified using the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD).
Main Results:
- Resting HRV decreased significantly with increasing age.
- No significant age differences or universal similarities were found in HRV-related gray matter volume (GMV).
- An age-dependent association between resting HRV and eigenvector centrality was observed in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), primarily in younger adults. Across all ages, HRV correlated positively with network centrality in the posterior cingulate cortex. Seed-based analysis revealed an HRV-related cortico-cerebellar network in younger adults only.
Conclusions:
- The age-related decline in resting HRV is associated with alterations in functional connectivity within the cortical midline, particularly the vmPFC.
- These findings suggest that brain-body interactions, as indexed by HRV and functional brain networks, undergo significant changes throughout the lifespan.
- This research contributes to understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of aging and brain-body communication.
Keywords:
AgingBrain structureDefault mode networkEigenvector centrality mappingHeart rate variabilityVoxel-based morphometryMore Related Videos
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