In recent years, increasing interest has been devoted to the physiological basis of self and other-oriented compassion. Heart rate variability (HRV) represents a promising candidate for such a role, given its association with soothing emotions and context appropriate prefrontal inhibitory control over threat-defensive responses. The aim of this study was to meta-analyze available studies on the association between compassion and HRV. Random-effect models were used. The analysis performed on sixteen studies that met inclusion criteria, yielded a significant association with a medium effect size (g = .54 95% CI [.24, .84], p < .0001). Results were not influenced by publication bias. After an extreme outlier's exclusion, the size of the association was still larger in studies that used time or frequency-domain indices of vagally-mediated HRV compared to those that used peak to trough estimates of respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Results are limited by the small number of studies included in the meta-analysis (n = 16) and are discussed in terms of indications for future research, given that existing data are highly heterogeneous and of poor methodological rigor.

The compassionate vagus: A meta-analysis on the connection between compassion and heart rate variability / Di Bello, M.; Carnevali, L.; Petrocchi, N.; Thayer, J. F.; Gilbert, P.; Ottaviani, C.. - In: NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS. - ISSN 0149-7634. - 116:(2020), pp. 21-30. [10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.016]

The compassionate vagus: A meta-analysis on the connection between compassion and heart rate variability

Carnevali L.;
2020-01-01

Abstract

In recent years, increasing interest has been devoted to the physiological basis of self and other-oriented compassion. Heart rate variability (HRV) represents a promising candidate for such a role, given its association with soothing emotions and context appropriate prefrontal inhibitory control over threat-defensive responses. The aim of this study was to meta-analyze available studies on the association between compassion and HRV. Random-effect models were used. The analysis performed on sixteen studies that met inclusion criteria, yielded a significant association with a medium effect size (g = .54 95% CI [.24, .84], p < .0001). Results were not influenced by publication bias. After an extreme outlier's exclusion, the size of the association was still larger in studies that used time or frequency-domain indices of vagally-mediated HRV compared to those that used peak to trough estimates of respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Results are limited by the small number of studies included in the meta-analysis (n = 16) and are discussed in terms of indications for future research, given that existing data are highly heterogeneous and of poor methodological rigor.
2020
The compassionate vagus: A meta-analysis on the connection between compassion and heart rate variability / Di Bello, M.; Carnevali, L.; Petrocchi, N.; Thayer, J. F.; Gilbert, P.; Ottaviani, C.. - In: NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS. - ISSN 0149-7634. - 116:(2020), pp. 21-30. [10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.016]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11381/2901959
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