Regulation of brain-immune association by stimulation of vagal activity

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25590204
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: OHIRA Hideki 名古屋大学, 環境学研究科, 教授 (90221837)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SAKAKIBARA Masato 愛知学院大学, 心身科学部, 教授 (10221996) ; MATSUNAGA Masahiro 愛知医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (00533960)
• Research Collaborator: SUGIURA Yuko 愛知淑徳大学, 文学研究科 ; GIDRON Yori Free University of Brussel, Department of Psychology, Professor
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 実験系心理学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been shown that individuals with higher resting heart rate variability (HRV) have higher capacity of regulation over stress. This study examined a hypothesis that manipulation to enhance HRV might facilitate stress regulation capacity. Participants conducted the biofeedback training of respiration which can enhance HRV, and then conducted an acute stress task (mental arithmetic task with time pressure) where psychological and physiological stress reactivity was evaluated.
An experimental group who conducted two trials of 10 min. biofeedback training showed robust enhancement of power of low frequency component of HRV. Further, the experimental group showed reduction of stress reactivity in subjective rating of stress and an inflammatory cytokine, compared to a control group who did not conduct the biofeedback training. Thus it was certificated that enhancement of HRV was effective to facilitate stress regulation capacity.

Free Research Field

生理心理学