Premium
Is it Important That the Mind is in a Body? Inhibition and the Heart
Author(s) -
Jennings J. Richard
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1992.tb01710.x
Subject(s) - heartbeat , psychology , autonomic nervous system , neuroscience , information processing , constraint (computer aided design) , central nervous system , control (management) , cognitive psychology , inhibitory control , response inhibition , heart rate , cognition , artificial intelligence , computer science , medicine , mechanical engineering , computer security , blood pressure , engineering
The hypothesis is advanced that certain inhibitory processes necessarily involve autonomic adjustments. Such adjustments would represent a constraint on information processing imposed by the location of the mind in a body. Evidence is reviewed showing that motoric inhibition is related to a transient delay in heartbeat generation. The delay is shown to further depend upon when inhibition occurs in the cardiac cycle. It is argued that this form of interaction between central and autonomic nervous system processing may be common. Central nervous system processes that may control inhibition and integrate information processing with motoric and autonomic processes are discussed.