The polyvagal perspective

Abstract

The polyvagal theory introduced a new perspective relating autonomic function to behavior, that included an appreciation of the autonomic nervous system as a "system," the identification of neural circuits involved in the regulation of autonomic state, and an interpretation of autonomic reactivity as adaptive within the context of the phylogeny of the vertebrate autonomic nervous system. The paper has two objectives: first, to provide an explicit statement of the theory; and second, to introduce the features of a polyvagal perspective. The polyvagal perspective emphasizes how an understanding of neurophysiological mechanisms and phylogenetic shifts in neural regulation leads to different questions, paradigms, explanations, and conclusions regarding autonomic function in biobehavioral processes than peripheral models. Foremost, the polyvagal perspective emphasizes the importance of phylogenetic changes in the neural structures regulating the autonomic nervous system and how these phylogenetic shifts provide insights into the adaptive function and the neural regulation of the two vagal systems.

An Effective Neurofeedback Intervention to Improve Social Interactions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…The scores for the total scale (M) and the subscales speech/language/communication (Com), sociability (Soc), sensory and cognitive awareness (Cog) and health/physical/behavior (Beh) are displayed for the preand posttest for Groups 1 and 2. The lower scores in the postcompared to the pre-test indicate treatment success the autonomic nervous system and social cognition is closely linked in the autistic population (Quintana et al 2012;Porges 2007) and that the brain, body and behavior components have to be addressed in order to achieve improvements in social cognition for children with ASD.…”

Sex differences in the associations between vagal reactivity and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms

“…It has been suggested that vagal reactivity, otherwise known as vagal withdrawal, plays a role in emotional regulation (Porges, 2007), which is impaired in many children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) (Cavanagh, Quinn, Duncan, Graham, & Balbuena, 2017). However, results are inconsistent (Graziano & Derefinko, 2013).…”

“…Porges's Polyvagal Theory (Porges, 2007) asserts that engagement with the environment is physiologically mediated by the ventral vagal complex. Pathways originating in the nucleus ambiguous, which regulates vagal influence on the heart, are linked to those that regulate muscles controlling facial expressions and vocalizing.…”

A New Therapeutic Community: Development of a Compassion‐Focussed and Contextual Behavioural Environment

“…Indeed, for most people, caring and affiliative relationships are the most important sources of threat regulation (Cacioppo & Patrick, 2008). For the most part, threat and drive emotions stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, whereas soothing, calming and feeling safe are linked to the parasympathetic system, which in turn has a vast array of physiological and psychological effects (Porges, 2007). There is growing evidence that feeling socially safe, which is linked to parasympathetic activity, is a better predictor of vulnerability to psychopathology than 'excitement-based' positive emotion ) and a better predictor than general positive or negative affect and social support (Kelly, Zuroff, Leybman, & Gilbert, 2012).…”

“…Physiologically, the community would constantly try to shift from sympathetic dominant to parasympathetic engagement (Porges, 2007). We predict that stimulation of the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system within social contexts requires discouragement of high expressed emotion and shaming experiences.…”