Introduction Laboratory stress paradigms provide controlled conditions to study autonomic stress responses and their relevance to health and disease. The autonomic nervous system adapts dynamically during stress, yet traditional heart rate variability (HRV) averages overlook rapid allodynamic adjustments. Few studies have characterized within-task HRV dynamics across multiple stressors or considered individual stress-related traits. This study examined fine-grained HRV responses to mental, noise, and pain stressors and assessed how perceived chronic stress and noise sensitivity contribute to these autonomic patterns. Method Thirty healthy adults completed mental arithmetic, noise exposure, and cold pressor tasks while electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded. HRV (MeanNN, RMSSD) was computed in 30-s windows, and perceived stress and noise sensitivity were assessed with validated questionnaires. Results Mental stress elicited the largest global HRV reductions, pain affected only MeanNN, and noise produced no global changes. However, time-resolved analyses revealed distinct HRV dynamics across all stressors that were not captured by global averages. Chronic stress and noise sensitivity had little effects on global HRV but significantly moderated fine-grained responses to mental and noise stress during anticipation, stress, or recovery phases. Discussion Autonomic stress reactivity is best understood through its temporal dynamics, as global HRV metrics obscure stressor-specific responses and the influence of individual vulnerability. Temporal analyses revealed distinct autonomic signatures for mental, noise, and pain stressors, indicating that they may engage partially distinct autonomic pathways and should not be treated as interchangeable experimental proxies of “stress.” The modulation by chronic stress and noise sensitivity highlights the importance of integrating trait-level factors when modeling autonomic adaptation. In line with the allodynamic framework, these findings suggest that high-resolution temporal analyses may provide a relevant approach for studying autonomic stress responses and their links to environmental stress exposure and health.
Longer periods (>6min) of substantial increases in aHR (aHR periods) in 24-hour recordings of electrocardiogram and accelerometer signals in a healthy sample are identified and their association with individual characteristics and affective states is examined.
S. V. D. van de Ven, Martin J. Gevonden, N. A. Huizinga et al.· Biological Psychology· 1 citation
Background: Medical students are frequently exposed to academic, emotional, and psychological stress, which can
adversely affect autonomic nervous system function. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a reliable, non-invasive
indicator of autonomic balance and can be used to objectively assess physiological responses to stress. This study
aimed to evaluate the association between heart rate variability and perceived stress among undergraduate medical
students.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 150 undergraduate medical
students in the Department of Physiology, Mediciti Institute of Medical Sciences, Ghanpur. Perceived stress was
assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and HRV was recorded under standardized resting conditions.
Time-domain parameters (SDNN and RMSSD) and the frequency-domain parameter (LF/HF ratio) were analyzed.
Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.0, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 20.8 ± 1.5 years, and 54.0% were females. Moderate stress was
observed in 62.0% of students, while 24.0% experienced high stress. SDNN and RMSSD decreased significantly
with increasing stress levels, whereas the LF/HF ratio increased significantly (p < 0.001). Perceived stress showed a
significant negative correlation with SDNN (r = −0.42) and RMSSD (r = −0.39), and a positive correlation with the
LF/HF ratio (r = 0.36, p = 0.002).
Conclusion: Higher perceived stress was significantly associated with reduced heart rate variability, indicating
impaired autonomic function among undergraduate medical students. Early stress identification and targeted
interventions may improve autonomic health and psychological well-being.
Keywords
Heart Rate Variability; Stress; Perceived Stress Scale; SDNN; RMSSD; LF/HF Ratio; Undergraduate Medical
Students; Autonomic Nervous System.
E. Harni, L. Lakshmi· Journal of MedVerse Research...· 0 citations
Heart rate variability analysis provides an objective evaluation of autonomic nervous system responses to acute stressors. This study investigated the impact of virtual reality-induced height stress on neurovegetative parameters. Sample: The study sample comprised 30 healthy students aged 18 to 25 years. Methods: Utilizing immersive head-mounted displays and a height- simulation application, the protocol involved baseline resting, acute height exposure, and recovery phases. Continuous electrocardiogram recording was performed using a telemetric chest strap sensor and analyzed via specialized heart rate variability analysis software, while psychometric variations were quantified using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Spatial Presence Experience Scale, and Virtual Reality Sickness Questionnaire. Results: Immersive exposure elicited a profound elevation in heart rate concurrently with a statistically significant reduction in parasympathetic time-domain indices. Conclusion: Immersive virtual environments serve as an effective proxy for provoking acute physiological responses, and ultra-short-term heart rate variability analysis represents a sensitive tool for real-time monitoring.
Zofia Gaweł, Szymon Jendryca, Adam Dobrzański et al.· Slovak Journal of Sport Scie...· 0 citations
Fatigue is a debilitating symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS) associated with autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction. Heart rate variability (HRV) provides a non-invasive measure of ANS function; yet the relative sensitivity of linear and nonlinear HRV parameters in capturing specific ANS (dys)function remains unclear. This study investigated the factorial structure of HRV parameters, their response to biopsychological interventions, and their relationship with MS-related fatigue. Data from two clinical trials (N = 78) were pooled. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to time-domain, frequency-domain, and nonlinear HRV parameters. Repeated-measures ANOVAs examined the effects of self-alert training (SAT; activating), deep breathing (DB; relaxing), and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR; intermediate) on HRV, controlling for age, depression, and disability. Subsequent regression analyses investigated whether HRV changes during a vigilance task predicted MS-related fatigue. EFA revealed two factors, likely reflecting parasympathetic (PNS) or sympathetic (SNS) activity. SAT decreased HRV parameters loaded onto both factors, DB increased parameters related to the factor interpreted as mainly reflecting SNS activity, and PMR affected both factors. Reduced SDNN change during the vigilance task predicted higher trait fatigue, whereas state fatigue was not associated with HRV. HRV offers the potential to monitor PNS-SNS-related activity during psychological interventions and to measure reduced autonomic adaptability in MS-related trait fatigue.
G. Garis, Carina Sander-Sandersfeld, Andrea Hildebrandt et al.· Multiple Sclerosis and Relat...· 1 citation
Abstract Objective NeoNatal Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS-II) measures behavioral signs of stress according to systems, including the autonomic and central nervous systems. These systems influence heart rate variability (HRV), which is a biomarker for regulatory capacity. The present study aims to investigate whether patterns of autonomic dysregulation are evident in both behavioral and physiological measures. Study Design HRV metrics—short- and long-term fractal scaling exponents (α1, α2) and root mean square fluctuations (RMS1, RMS2)—were calculated from the heart rates of 51 preterm infants at 33 weeks postmenstrual age. The NNNS-II assessments were conducted at term-equivalent age. Results Linear regression revealed that higher total stress signs were associated with increased α2 ( β = 0.366, p = 0.006), indicating reduced long-scale autonomic complexity. Autonomic and central nervous systems–specific stress signs were significantly associated with elevated α2 ( β = 0.349, p = 0.022). Individual items such as high-frequency tremors were also associated with increased α2 ( β = 0.303, p = 0.018) whereas startles were not ( p = 0.096). Conclusion Neurobehavioral stress signs, particularly those associated with the central nervous system (CNS), are linked to early diminished autonomic variation in infants. These findings can help researchers and clinicians interpret the significance of neurobehavioral stress signs to autonomic tone in preterm infants. Key Points Neurobehavioral stress is linked to HRV. CNS stress predicts reduced autonomic complexity. Tremors were most strongly related to HRV.
Elan L Donnellan, J. Ngwa, N. Andescavage et al.· American Journal of Perinato...· 0 citations
Introduction Combat-related stress is associated with autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation—sympathetic predominance, reduced vagal tone, and decreased heart rate variability (HRV)—linked to increased cardiovascular risk. Non-pharmacological interventions targeting autonomic regulation show promise, but controlled studies in combat-exposed populations remain limited. We assessed whether adding a structured breathing–meditation protocol, the Technique of Mental Relaxation (TMR), to standard rehabilitation is associated with changes in HRV and electrocardiogram (ECG)-derived indices of autonomic regulation in Ukrainian servicemen. Methods A controlled, non-randomized study screened 84 male servicemen; 77 were allocated to a TMR group (n = 37; TMR plus standard treatment) or a control group (n = 40; standard treatment alone). Paired baseline and post-treatment 5-min supine recordings, obtained over a 14-day rehabilitation period, were available for 74 participants (TMR n = 35, control n = 39); a civilian reference group (n = 89) provided baseline comparison. Primary HRV outcomes were SDNN, RMSSD, the Baevsky Stress Index, and heart rate; ECG analysis added repolarization intervals, with Hedges’ g. Results At baseline, both military groups showed impaired autonomic regulation versus civilians (all p < 0.0001). After intervention, the TMR group improved (SDNN 23→30 ms, p < 0.001; RMSSD 12→19 ms, p < 0.001; Stress Index 422→253, p < 0.001), whereas controls deteriorated; post-treatment between-group differences were significant for all primary outcomes (p ≤ 0.008). Conclusion Heart-rate-adjusted analyses attenuated part of this difference, the Stress Index remaining most robust. Given the non-randomized design, these findings warrant caution and support randomized trials, with HRV as an objective monitoring tool.
Viktor S Matsyshyn, A. Kravchenko, Nataliia M. Ovodiuk et al.· Frontiers in Network Physiol...· 0 citations
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