Resting heart rate variability modulates the effects of concurrent working memory load on affective startle modification. (28th April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Xiao; Spangler, Derek P.; Thayer, Julian F.; Friedman, Bruce H.
• Is Part Of: Psychophysiology. Volume 58:Number 8(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-04-28
• Subjects: affective startle modification -- GUTS -- vagally mediated heart rate variability -- working memory; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13833
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0048-5772

Abstract

Abstract: Vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is thought to index top–down control processes in emotion regulation. According to the Generalized Unsafety Theory of Stress (GUTS), resting vmHRV indexes top–down resources that are needed to inhibit subcortical threat circuits, which is important for context‐appropriate affective responding. Although this notion has been supported by studies of affective startle (SR) modification, direct evidence that top–down resources are the linking mechanism between vmHRV and context‐appropriate affective responding has been lacking. To investigate this possible mechanism, college‐aged participants ( n = 92) were recruited to complete a picture viewing task and a concurrent working memory (WM) task. Concurrent WM load was manipulated, and the auditory SR stimulus was delivered while viewing affective pictures. Electrocardiography and electromyography were recorded to assess vmHRV and SR eyeblink, respectively. Results showed that WM load attenuated affective SR modification. As expected, the attenuating effects of load on affective SR modification were stronger among low vmHRV relative to high vmHRV individuals, indicating that vmHRV is linked to context‐appropriate affective responding through the mechanism of top–down resources. These results support the GUTS and suggest that atypical affective responding among low vmHRV individuals is attributed to the lack of WM resources. Our findings highlight the relation between vmHRV and top–down resources that have been implicated in emotion regulation and contribute to a better understanding of emotion dysregulation in psychopathology. Abstract : Low vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) and altered startle (SR) responding in emotion dysregulation are thought to be linked through deficient top–down control. However, no study has directly addressed this possibility. Addressing this gap, we found that reduced top–down resources interrupted affective SR modification only among individuals with low basal vmHRV. The current study offers evidence that vmHRV indexes the capacity for top–down control processes that are important for context‐appropriate emotion.