Control of heart rate through guided high-rate breathing

Abstract

Understanding the complex dynamics of cardio-respiratory coupling sheds light on the underlying mechanisms governing the communication between these two physiological systems. Previous research has predominantly considered the coupling at respiratory rates slower than the heart rate and shown that respiratory oscillations lead to modulation and/or synchronization of the heart rate. Whereas the mechanisms of cardio-respiratory communication are still under discussion, peripheral nervous regulation is considered to be the predominant factor. This work offers a novel experimental design and applies the concept of instantaneous phase to detect cardio-respiratory entrainment at elevated respiration rates, close to the resting heart rate. If such 1:1 entrainment exists, it would suggest direct neuronal communication between the respiration and heart centres in the brain. We have observed 1:1 entrainment in all volunteers, with consistently longer synchronization episodes seen in physically fitter people, and demonstrated that cardio-respiratory synchronization at both low and high respiration rates is associated with a common underlying communication mechanism.

Aging is independently associated with an increasing normal respiratory rate among an older adult population in a clinical setting: A cross‐sectional study

“…Although the mechanisms of cardiorespiratory communication have not been fully investigated, prior studies have suggested a possible relationship between the respiratory rate and heart rate. One study detected cardiopulmonary 1:1 entrainment at elevated respiratory rates . Such findings are highly suggestive of direct neural communication between the heart rate and respiratory rate.…”

“…One study detected cardiopulmonary 1:1 entrainment at elevated respiratory rates. 17 Such findings are highly suggestive of direct neural communication Although respiratory rate has been traditionally used as a vital sign, respiratory rate assessments are known to be a widely neglected entity. [18][19][20][21] Consequently, there is no global agreement on the normal range of respiratory rates for the older adult population.…”

Physical fitness contributes to cardio-respiratory synchronization

“…Inspired by the conclusions of Pokrovskii's work [10,13,14], breathing will be guided at rates close to and exceeding RHR. A detailed description of these experiments and the results with corresponding statistical analysis are published in [15]. This article is looking to analyse the differences in length of synchronization for volunteers of different fitness capabilities.…”

Tracking Rhythms Coherence From Polysomnographic Records: A Time-Frequency Approach

“…This can be used to capture intervals of synchronization from a pair of oscillators, also giving access to their phase shift. Cardio-respiratory synchronization is not generally recorded in rest or sleep, it has been observed during specific breathing and/or vocal exercises [99,100].…”