Heart rate variability is associated with amygdala functional connectivity with MPFC across younger and older adults.

ABSTRACT: The ability to regulate emotion is crucial to promote well-being. Evidence suggests that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and adjacent anterior cingulate (ACC) modulate amygdala activity during emotion regulation. Yet less is known about whether the amygdala-mPFC circuit is linked with regulation of the autonomic nervous system and whether the relationship differs across the adult lifespan. The current study tested the hypothesis that heart rate variability (HRV) reflects the strength of mPFC-amygdala interaction across younger and older adults. We recorded participants' heart rates at baseline and examined whether baseline HRV was associated with amygdala-mPFC functional connectivity during rest. We found that higher HRV was associated with stronger functional connectivity between the

SUBMITTER: Sakaki M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5133191 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature