Validation of heartrate data, measured during a resting state fMRI-scan
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2021-07-09
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en
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The central autonomic network (CAN), including brain regions that are affected in anxiety disorders, is involved in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) of the body. The ANS modulates the heart via the vagus nerve that projects on the sinoatrial node. Measures of heart rate variability (HRV) are often used as indicator of this influence. However, the reciprocal effect of the heart on brain regions is often considered an undesired signal. In order to validate cardiac data for studying HRV in an anxious population, we correlated instantaneous heart rate (HR) with voxel-wise fMRI-data from a highly anxious population including 190 participants. We found large correlations between the instantaneous HR and pulsating fluids in the brain (arterial/venous blood and CSF) which is evidence that the data is valid. Additionally, we found associations between HR and regions associated with the CAN including the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and cerebellum. Taken together, the cardiac data from the large anxious population is valid and allows investigation of the autonomic relation between the heart and the brain via HRV.
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen