Heart rate variability in relation to cognition and behavior in neurodegenerative diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Author: Kathy Y Liu1, Thomas Elliott2, Melanie Knowles2, Robert Howard3
Affiliation:
1 Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK. Electronic address: kathy.liu@ucl.ac.uk.
2 Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust, 4 St Pancras Way, London NW1 0PE, UK.
3 Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK.
Conference/Journal: Ageing Res Rev
Date published: 2021 Dec 6
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101539. , Word Count: 171
Neurodegenerative diseases, which frequently present with neuropsychiatric symptoms related to prefrontal cortical dysfunction, can alter the integrity of the neural networks involved in central autonomic nervous system regulation, which is proposed to be indexed by heart rate variability (HRV). We systematically reviewed the characteristics, methodology and outcomes of 27 studies of HRV in relation to measures of cognition and behavior in neurodegenerative conditions, and assessed the strength of this relationship, cross-sectionally, across 18 studies. A significant, moderate effect was observed (r=0.25), such that higher HRV was related to better cognitive and behavioral scores, which was not influenced by mean age or cognitive status. There was no evidence of small-study effects but we could not rule out publication bias, and other factors may have contributed to heterogeneity between studies. Our findings support the proposal that HRV may be a marker of self-regulatory processes in neurodegenerative conditions, and further research on this association is needed in relation to neuropsychiatric symptoms and alongside neuroimaging methods.
Keywords: Dementia; Neurodegenerative Diseases; heart rate variability.
PMID: 34883203 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101539
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