Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability in type A females during a psychomotor task

This study investigated changes in autonomic nervous activities due to psychological stress in Type A females. Eight Type A and eight Type B females performed a psychomotor task for 30 minutes. Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) was used to examine the autonomic nervous activities. Results showed the low frequency (LF) component and LF/HF ratio in Type A females increased after the onset of the task. There were no significant differences in task performance between Type A and Type B females. The subjective mental workload increased gradually in Type A females during the tasks, whereas in Type B females this parameter did not change in a consistent manner. The results suggest that the sympathetic nervous system in Type A females was more stimulated by the task and Type A females felt a greater subjective mental workload than did Type B females.