Heart rate variability in response to affective scenes in posttraumatic stress disorder
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by psychophysiological abnormalities, such as an altered baseline heart rate and either hyper- or hyporeactivity to a wide range of stimuli, implying dysfunctional arousal regulation. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been established as an important marker of arousal regulatory ability. The aim of the present study was to examine HRV in PTSD under different affective conditions and to explore the role of potential moderating factors. To meet this purpose, videos of varying emotional valence were presented to trauma-exposed participants with PTSD (n=26), trauma-exposed participants without PTSD (n=26), as well as non-trauma-exposed controls (n=18) while HRV was recorded. The PTSD group showed lower HRV than non-trauma-exposed controls at baseline (corrected for age) and throughout different affective conditions implying decreased parasympathetic activity and an inflexible response regulation. There was a negative relationship between HRV and self-report of both depression and state dissociation.
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Few neurophysiological studies have assessed peritraumatic, acute, and trait dissociation within one cohort.
“To date, few neurophysiological studies have assessed peritraumatic, acute, and trait dissociation within one cohort (e.g. Bichescu-Burian et al., 2017; Hauschildt et al., 2011)”
From Trauma-related dissociation and the autonomic nervous system: a systematic literature review of psychophysiological correlates of dissociative experiencing in PTSD patients (2022) · cites this paper as Hauschildt et al., 2011
None of the other studies found correlations between heart rate variability and trait dissociation after exposure to trauma-related material or general stress stimuli.
“None of the other studies found correlations between HRV and trait dissociation after exposure to trauma related material (Hauschildt et al., 2011) or general stress stimuli (Powers et al., 2021; Schäflein et al., 2018).”
From Trauma-related dissociation and the autonomic nervous system: a systematic literature review of psychophysiological correlates of dissociative experiencing in PTSD patients (2022) · cites this paper as Hauschildt et al., 2011
There was no correlation between peritraumatic dissociation and assessed heart rate variability parameters in Hauschildt et al. (2011) or with respiratory sinus arrhythmia in Sledjeski and Delahanty (2012).
“There was no correlation with peritraumatic dissociation and the assessed HRV parameters in the study by Hauschildt et al. (2011) or with RSA in the study by Sledjeski and Delahanty (2012).”
From Trauma-related dissociation and the autonomic nervous system: a systematic literature review of psychophysiological correlates of dissociative experiencing in PTSD patients (2022) · cites this paper as Hauschildt et al. (2011)
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References 61 · Cited by 141
- Authors
- Hauschildt, M., Peters, M. J. V., Moritz, S., & Jelinek, L.
- Affiliations
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (DE)
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Hauschildt, Marit
- Venue
- Biological Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-12
- Volume
- 88
- Issue
- 2-3
- Pages
- 215-222
- ISSN
- 0301-0511 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1973573204
- Cited by
- 141
- References
- 61
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 4.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- post-traumatic stress disorder, heart rate variability, emotional stimuli, emotional valence, arousal regulation, parasympathetic activity, depression, state dissociation, trauma exposure
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Arousal, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Depression, Emotions, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Life Style, Male, Parasympathetic Nervous System, Photic Stimulation, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Socioeconomic Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
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