Heart Rate Variability and Electrodermal Activity as Noninvasive Indices of Sympathovagal Balance in Response to Stress

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a principal regulatory system for maintaining homeostasis, adaptability and physiological flexibility of the organism at rest as well as in response to stress. In the aspect of autonomic regulatory inputs on the cardiovascular system, recent research is focused...

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Main Authors: Visnovcova Zuzana, Calkovska A., Tonhajzerova I.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2013-03-01
Series:Acta Medica Martiniana
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.2478/acm-2013-0006
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author Visnovcova Zuzana
Calkovska A.
Tonhajzerova I.
author_facet Visnovcova Zuzana
Calkovska A.
Tonhajzerova I.
author_sort Visnovcova Zuzana
collection DOAJ
description The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a principal regulatory system for maintaining homeostasis, adaptability and physiological flexibility of the organism at rest as well as in response to stress. In the aspect of autonomic regulatory inputs on the cardiovascular system, recent research is focused on the study of exaggerated/diminished cardiovascular reactivity in response to mental stress as a risk factor for health complications, e.g. hypertension. Thus, the analysis of biological signals reflecting a physiological shift in sympathovagal balance during stress in the manner of vagal withdrawal associated with sympathetic overactivity is important. The heart rate variability, i.e. “beat-to-beat” oscillations of heart rate around its mean value, reflects mainly complex neurocardiac parasympathetic control. The electrodermal activity could represent “antagonistic” sympathetic activity, the so-called “sympathetic arousal” in response to stress. The detailed study of the physiological parameters under various stressful stimuli and in recovery phase using traditional and novel mathematical analyses could reveal discrete alterations in sympathovagal balance. This article summarizes the importance of heart rate variability and electrodermal activity assessment as the potential noninvasive indices indicating autonomic nervous system activity in response to mental stress.
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spelling doaj.art-ad0f07c3b82140c2b86b0815131349e72022-12-22T04:05:03ZengSciendoActa Medica Martiniana1335-84212013-03-0113151310.2478/acm-2013-0006Heart Rate Variability and Electrodermal Activity as Noninvasive Indices of Sympathovagal Balance in Response to StressVisnovcova Zuzana0Calkovska A.1Tonhajzerova I.2Mala Hora 4, 03601 Martin, Slovak Republic. Phone/fax: +421 43 2633404Department of Physiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Martin, Slovak RepublicDepartment of Physiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Martin, Slovak RepublicThe autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a principal regulatory system for maintaining homeostasis, adaptability and physiological flexibility of the organism at rest as well as in response to stress. In the aspect of autonomic regulatory inputs on the cardiovascular system, recent research is focused on the study of exaggerated/diminished cardiovascular reactivity in response to mental stress as a risk factor for health complications, e.g. hypertension. Thus, the analysis of biological signals reflecting a physiological shift in sympathovagal balance during stress in the manner of vagal withdrawal associated with sympathetic overactivity is important. The heart rate variability, i.e. “beat-to-beat” oscillations of heart rate around its mean value, reflects mainly complex neurocardiac parasympathetic control. The electrodermal activity could represent “antagonistic” sympathetic activity, the so-called “sympathetic arousal” in response to stress. The detailed study of the physiological parameters under various stressful stimuli and in recovery phase using traditional and novel mathematical analyses could reveal discrete alterations in sympathovagal balance. This article summarizes the importance of heart rate variability and electrodermal activity assessment as the potential noninvasive indices indicating autonomic nervous system activity in response to mental stress.https://doi.org/10.2478/acm-2013-0006cardiovascular systemelectrodermal responseheart rate variabilitymental load
spellingShingle Visnovcova Zuzana
Calkovska A.
Tonhajzerova I.
Heart Rate Variability and Electrodermal Activity as Noninvasive Indices of Sympathovagal Balance in Response to Stress
Acta Medica Martiniana
cardiovascular system
electrodermal response
heart rate variability
mental load
title Heart Rate Variability and Electrodermal Activity as Noninvasive Indices of Sympathovagal Balance in Response to Stress
title_full Heart Rate Variability and Electrodermal Activity as Noninvasive Indices of Sympathovagal Balance in Response to Stress
title_fullStr Heart Rate Variability and Electrodermal Activity as Noninvasive Indices of Sympathovagal Balance in Response to Stress
title_full_unstemmed Heart Rate Variability and Electrodermal Activity as Noninvasive Indices of Sympathovagal Balance in Response to Stress
title_short Heart Rate Variability and Electrodermal Activity as Noninvasive Indices of Sympathovagal Balance in Response to Stress
title_sort heart rate variability and electrodermal activity as noninvasive indices of sympathovagal balance in response to stress
topic cardiovascular system
electrodermal response
heart rate variability
mental load
url https://doi.org/10.2478/acm-2013-0006
work_keys_str_mv AT visnovcovazuzana heartratevariabilityandelectrodermalactivityasnoninvasiveindicesofsympathovagalbalanceinresponsetostress
AT calkovskaa heartratevariabilityandelectrodermalactivityasnoninvasiveindicesofsympathovagalbalanceinresponsetostress
AT tonhajzerovai heartratevariabilityandelectrodermalactivityasnoninvasiveindicesofsympathovagalbalanceinresponsetostress