Heart rate variability biofeedback: how and why does it work?

Abstract

In recent years there has been substantial support for heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) as a treatment for a variety of disorders and for performance enhancement (Gevirtz, 2013). Since conditions as widely varied as asthma and depression seem to respond to this form of cardiorespiratory feedback training, the issue of possible mechanisms becomes more salient. The most supported possible mechanism is the strengthening of homeostasis in the baroreceptor (Vaschillo et al., 2002; Lehrer et al., 2003). Recently, the effect on the vagal afferent pathway to the frontal cortical areas has been proposed. In this article, we review these and other possible mechanisms that might explain the positive effects of HRVB.

Favouring emotional processing in improvisational music therapy through resonance frequency breathing: a single-case experimental study with a healthy client

“…This would have required that the client be fed back data in real time about his/her heart and respiration rate while performing RFB. Instead, we relied on the fact that the resonance frequency of an adult remains largely stable, the main influencing factors being gender and body height (Lehrer & Gevirtz, 2014). This allowed us to determine the resonance frequency only once at the beginning, and then use a simple breath pacer to cue the client during the sessions starting with RFB.…”

“…Additionally, when people breathe at their optimal speed, they achieve a state called physiological coherence, where heart, respiratory, and blood pressure rhythms become highly synchronised (Lehrer & Gevirtz, 2014). Because of the resulting amplification effect and synchronisation between several physiological systems, this optimal frequency has been dubbed the "resonance frequency."…”

Effects of slow and regular breathing exercise on cardiopulmonary coupling and blood pressure

“…Our results show that the changes of phase and amplitude dynamics also exhibit different patterns during slow breathing exercise. In recent years, heart rate variability biofeedback, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) biofeedback or resonance frequency feedback has got substantial supports for a variety of disorders and for performance enhancement [18]. This form of cardiorespiratory feedback training tries to maximize RSA through beat-by-beat heart rate feeding back, without tracking the change of cardiorespiratory coherence.…”

“…The lowest PB rate in our study was set at 7 BPM. It could be preferred to decrease the breathing rate to the resonance frequency (6 BPM or less) [18] during the SPB procedure. However, the protocol with that low breathing rate would make the whole procedure rather long and would make it difficult to accurately follow the target breathing rhythm for a long time, especially at low breathing rates.…”

Роль Гидродинамических Параметров В Формировании Низкочастотных Колебаний Артериального Давления У Человека

“…This phenomenon is used for baroreflex stimulation in deep breathing with a frequency of 0.1 Hz [3]. Such stimulation of the baroreflex is applied in the clinical practice for treating various diseases related to physical and mental disorders [4][5][6][7], as well as for assessing the functioning of the baroreflectory mechanism [8] and the physical and mental status of patients [9].…”