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Mazloom R. A review of the effects of heart rate variability the on brain network of emotion regulation. Advances in Cognitive Sciences 2025; 26 (4) :33-43
URL: http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-1785-en.html

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a known measure of beat-to-beat intervals of the heart rate in specific
domains. Simultaneously, it has been observed that people with high HRV have better emotional
health than people with low HRV and are better at regulating their emotions. Two mechanisms
have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. The first is related to the connection of the heart
through the autonomic nervous system with brain networks of emotion regulation, including the
prefrontal cortex and amygdala. The second mechanism involves the connection of the heart with
a definite pattern of blood supply to the brain at a particular frequency. Notably, the connection
between the heart and brain is bidirectional. The heart influences the nervous system, and in turn,
the central nervous system affects the heart, leading to changes in heart rate. Previous studies
have shown that high-amplitude oscillations in HRV modulate oscillatory brain activity, particularly
in brain regions associated with emotion-regulation networks. Recent studies using resonant
breathing patterns or daily biofeedback sessions to increase the amplitude of HRV have shown that
high-amplitude physiological fluctuations significantly affect emotional health, primarily through
the vagus nerve. Consequently, the health of the heart’s pacing activity appears closely related to
the optimal functioning of brain networks that regulate emotions.