Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Alleviates Subthreshold Depression by Reconstructing the Brain-Heart Axis via Habenular Network Functional Connectivity Modulation.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

To investigate the role of the habenula (Hb)-centered brain network in regulating the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) in subthreshold depression (StD), and to explore the brain-heart axis mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) as a non-pharmacological intervention.

Methods

Thirty four StD participants and 32 healthy controls (HC) completed scale assessments (HAMD-17, PHQ-9, and PSQI) and cardiovascular measurements. StD participants received a 4-week HRV-BF with pre- and post-rs-BOLD fMRI. Bilateral Hb was used as the seed for ROI- and voxel-wise functional connectivity (FC) analyses. To minimize potential confounding effects of sex imbalance, only female participants were included in voxel-wise FC analysis

SUBMITTER: Xu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12720014 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature