Abstract
Metrics of heart period variability are widely used in the behavioral and biomedical sciences, although somewhat confusingly labeled as heart rate variability (HRV). Despite their wide use, HRV metrics are usually analyzed and interpreted without reference to prevailing levels of cardiac chronotropic state (i.e., mean heart rate or mean heart period). This isolated treatment of HRV metrics is nontrivial. All HRV metrics routinely used in the literature exhibit a known and positive relationship with the mean duration of the interval between two beats (heart period): as the heart period increases, so does its variability. This raises the question of whether HRV metrics should be “corrected” for the mean heart period (or its inverse, the heart rate). Here, we outline biological, quantitative, and interpretive issues engendered by this question. We provide arguments that HRV is neither uniformly nor simply a surrogate for heart period. We also identify knowledge gaps that remain to be satisfactorily addressed with respect to assumptions underlying existing HRV correction approaches. In doing so, we aim to stimulate further progress toward the rigorous use and disciplined interpretation of HRV. We close with provisional guidance on HRV reporting that acknowledges the complex interplay between the mean and variability of the heart period.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e13287 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-26 |
Number of pages | 26 |
Journal | Psychophysiology |
Volume | 56 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 25 Oct 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2019 |
Funding
NIH grant (HL089850) (to P.J.G.), NIH grant (HL101959) (to J.R.J.), NIH grant (F32 HL137227) to R.C.B., Ohio State University Emeritus Academy grant (to G.G.B.), John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network National Institute on Aging (P01‐ AG020166), National Institute on Aging (U19‐AG051426), NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program (UL1TR001409) (Georgetown), (UL1TR001881) (UCLA), (1UL1RR025011) (UW), Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMW), Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI–NL), Vrije Universiteit’s VU‐ AMS research fund. This work was supported by NIH grant HL089850 to P.J.G., NIH grant HL101959 to J.R.J., NIH grant F32 HL137227 to R.C.B., and an Ohio State University Emeritus Academy grant to G.G.B. Since 1995, the MIDUS study has been funded by the following: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network National Institute on Aging (P01‐AG020166), National Institute on Aging (U19‐AG051426). Biomarker data collection was further supported by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program as follows: UL1TR001409 (Georgetown), UL1TR001881 (UCLA), 1UL1RR025011 (UW). Data collection on the autonomic nervous system in the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR) was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMW), the Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI–NL), and the Vrije Universiteit’s VU‐AMS research fund. Data management and access was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) grant 480‐15‐001/674 (NWO‐Groot). The authors declare no conflicts of interest with respect to their authorship or the publication of this article.
Funders | Funder number |
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BBMRI | |
Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure | |
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network National Institute on Aging | P01‐ AG020166 |
Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development | |
Ohio State University Emeritus Academy | |
Vrije Universiteit’s VU‐ AMS | |
National Institutes of Health | HL089850, HL101959, F32 HL137227 |
National Institute on Aging | U19AG051426 |
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences | UL1TR001881, UL1TR001409 |
University of California, Los Angeles | 1UL1RR025011 |
ZonMw | |
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek |
Keywords
- autonomic
- behavioral medicine
- heart rate
- heart rate variability