Transfer of heart rate feedback training to reduce heart rate response to laboratory tasks

Researchers have demonstrated that individuals can successfully reduce their heart rate (HR) response to a stressor when provided with heart rate feedback. However, it is unclear whether individuals can transfer HR reduction skills to stressors not used during HR feedback training. The present study used a multiple baseline, single subject design to examine the transfer of HR feedback training among six individuals. Participants were provided with HR feedback training during the presentation of a videogame, a mental arithmetic challenge, and a hand grip task until the participants reduced their HR to within 4 bpm of their resting HR or until they completed three 2-hour training sessions. The participants\u27 ability to reduce HR responses to the three training tasks with no HR feedback was assessed during an immediate post-training period, which followed training on each task. The participants\u27 ability to reduce HR responses to the training tasks and a speech task was assessed during short delay (i.e., 1--2 days) and long delay (1--2 weeks) post-training sessions. Overall, participants demonstrated that during HR feedback training, they could successfully reduce their HR and generally could maintain this reduction in HR to the training task during an immediate post-training assessment when HR was not present. However, individuals were not able to reduce their HR responses to tasks during the short delay and long delay post training sessions and they were unable to transfer HR reduction skills to a novel task (i.e., the speech task). In general, blood pressure responses to the tasks during the post-training sessions were equivalent to pre-training blood pressure levels. Individuals demonstrated consistent performance levels during the videogame and hand grip tasks, and increasing performance levels during the mental arithmetic task. Additional research is needed to examine whether providing motivation (e.g., monetary rewards) during post-training sessions or teaching specific HR reducing skills (e.g., diaphragmatic breathing) might enhance the transfer of HR feedback training and the reduction of HR responses to any number of tasks

Using impedance cardiography to examine changes in hemodynamic parameters during heart rate biofeedback

Reducing cardiovascular responses to stressors may help to reduce one\u27s risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The present study examined the underlying hemodynamic changes that accompany heart rate (HR) response reduction to a stressor following HR feedback training. Twenty-five healthy college males were assigned to either a HR feedback training group (FB+) or a control group (FB--) and were presented with a videogame and mental arithmetic challenge, as HR, blood pressure, and impedance cardiography-derived measures were recorded. During the training sessions, the FB+ group received HR feedback and the FB-- group was not provided with HR feedback while playing the videogame. Results revealed that those in de FB+ group demonstrated significantly lower HR, systolic blood pressure, stroke volume, and peripheral-resistance responses to the post-training compared to the pre-training videogame. Overall, these results suggest that HR feedback training is an effective method for reducing cardiovascular responding to a stressor