Depressive rumination and heart rate variability: A pilot study on the effect of biofeedback on rumination and its physiological concomitants.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Recent studies suggest that lower resting heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with elevated vulnerability to depressive rumination. In this study, we tested whether increases in HRV after HRV-biofeedback training are accompanied by reductions in rumination levels.

Materials and methods

Sixteen patients suffering from depression completed a 6-week HRV-biofeedback training and fourteen patients completed a control condition in which there was no intervention (waitlist). The training included five sessions per week at home using a smartphone application and an ECG belt. Depressive symptoms and autonomic function at rest and during induced rumination were assessed before and after each of the two conditions. We used a well-established rumination induction task t

SUBMITTER: Schumann A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9452722 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature