TY - JOUR
T1 - Resting heart rate variability is associated with ex-Gaussian metrics of intra-individual reaction time variability
AU - Spangler, Derek P.
AU - Williams, De Wayne P.
AU - Speller, Lassiter F.
AU - Brooks, Justin R.
AU - Thayer, Julian F.
N1 - Funding Information:
Research was sponsored by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and was accomplished under Cooperative Agreement Number W911NF-17-2-0100 . The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the Army Research Laboratory or the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Government purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation herein.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Authors
PY - 2018/3
Y1 - 2018/3
N2 - The relationships between vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) and the cognitive mechanisms underlying performance can be elucidated with ex-Gaussian modeling—an approach that quantifies two different forms of intra-individual variability (IIV) in reaction time (RT). To this end, the current study examined relations of resting vmHRV to whole-distribution and ex-Gaussian IIV. Subjects (N = 83) completed a 5-minute baseline while vmHRV (root mean square of successive differences; RMSSD) was measured. Ex-Gaussian (sigma, tau) and whole-distribution (standard deviation) estimates of IIV were derived from reaction times on a Stroop task. Resting vmHRV was found to be inversely related to tau (exponential IIV) but not to sigma (Gaussian IIV) or the whole-distribution standard deviation of RTs. Findings suggest that individuals with high vmHRV can better prevent attentional lapses but not difficulties with motor control. These findings inform the differential relationships of cardiac vagal control to the cognitive processes underlying human performance.
AB - The relationships between vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) and the cognitive mechanisms underlying performance can be elucidated with ex-Gaussian modeling—an approach that quantifies two different forms of intra-individual variability (IIV) in reaction time (RT). To this end, the current study examined relations of resting vmHRV to whole-distribution and ex-Gaussian IIV. Subjects (N = 83) completed a 5-minute baseline while vmHRV (root mean square of successive differences; RMSSD) was measured. Ex-Gaussian (sigma, tau) and whole-distribution (standard deviation) estimates of IIV were derived from reaction times on a Stroop task. Resting vmHRV was found to be inversely related to tau (exponential IIV) but not to sigma (Gaussian IIV) or the whole-distribution standard deviation of RTs. Findings suggest that individuals with high vmHRV can better prevent attentional lapses but not difficulties with motor control. These findings inform the differential relationships of cardiac vagal control to the cognitive processes underlying human performance.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85041489371&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85041489371&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.01.009
DO - 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.01.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 29408149
AN - SCOPUS:85041489371
SN - 0167-8760
VL - 125
SP - 10
EP - 16
JO - International Journal of Psychophysiology
JF - International Journal of Psychophysiology
ER -