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. 2014 Jul 21:5:756.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00756. eCollection 2014.

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

Paul M Lehrer  1 , Richard Gevirtz  2
Affiliations

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

Paul M Lehrer et al. Front Psychol. .

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.

Keywords: baroreflex; biofeedback; heart rate variability; homeostasis; resonance.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
A typical HRVB screen showing the transition from normal breathing to 7 breaths per minute breathing.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
N250 (in microvolts) evoked potential during various conditions.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Heart rate variability as measured by SDNN across sessions for the heart rate variability biofeedback group compared to the EMG/relaxation group.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Heartbeat event related potential (HEP) at 250 μs for both groups pre vs. post-training (sign reversed).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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