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Cardiac vagal activity during psychological stress varies with social functioning in older women
Author(s) -
Egizio Victoria B.,
Jennings J. Richard,
Christie Israel C.,
Sheu Lei K.,
Matthews Karen A.,
Gianaros Peter J.
Publication year - 2008
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.1469-8986.2008.00698.x
Subject(s) - psychology , vagal tone , stressor , heart rate variability , social stress , developmental psychology , heart rate , clinical psychology , medicine , blood pressure
Abstract The polyvagal theory states that social behavior is linked to cardiac vagal control. This theory has been tested widely in infants and children, but less so in adults. Thus, we examined if resting or stress‐related changes in high‐frequency heart rate variability (HF‐HRV; a presumed index of vagal control) varied with social functioning in 50 healthy women (mean age 68 years). After completing assessments of social functioning, women were exposed to laboratory stressors with concurrent psychophysiological monitoring. Although stressor‐induced suppression of HF‐HRV was common, women with less stressor‐induced suppression of HF‐HRV reported more positive social functioning. Resting HF‐HRV was not related to social functioning. These findings are at apparent odds with the polyvagal theory; however, they complement prior work suggesting that emotional self‐regulation could plausibly modulate cardiac vagal control in association with social functioning.