Ginsberg Jay P, Berry Melanie E, Powell Donald A
Dorn VA Medical Center (VAMC), USA.
Altern Ther Health Med. 2010 Jul-Aug;16(4):52-60.
The need for treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among combat veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq is a growing concern. PTSD has been associated with reduced cardiac coherence (an indicator of heart rate variability [HRV]) and deficits in early stage information processing (attention and immediate memory) in different studies. However, the co-occurrence of reduced coherence and cognition in combat veterans with PTSD has not been studied before.
A pilot study was undertaken to assess the covariance of coherence and information processing in combat veterans. An additional study goal was assessment of effects of HRV biofeedback (HRVB) on coherence and information processing in these veterans.
METHODS/DESIGN: A two-group (combat veterans with and without PTSD), pre-post study of coherence and information processing was employed with baseline psychometric covariates.
The study was conducted at a VA Medical Center outpatient mental health clinic.
Five combat veterans from Iraq or Afghanistan with PTSD and five active-duty soldiers with comparable combat exposure who were without PTSD.
Participants met with an HRVB professional once weekly for 4 weeks and received visual feedback in HRV patterns while receiving training in resonance frequency breathing and positive emotion induction.
Cardiac coherence, word list learning, commissions (false alarms) in go-no go reaction time, digits backward.
Cardiac coherence was achieved in all participants, and the increase in coherence ratio was significant post-HRVB training. Significant improvements in the information processing indicators were achieved. Degree of increase in coherence was the likely mediator of cognitive improvement.
Cardiac coherence is an index of strength of control of parasympathetic cardiac deceleration in an individual that has cardinal importance for the individual's attention and affect regulation.
从阿富汗和伊拉克归来的退伍军人中，创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的治疗需求日益受到关注。在不同研究中，PTSD与心脏相干性降低（心率变异性[HRV]的一个指标）以及早期信息处理（注意力和即时记忆）缺陷有关。然而，之前尚未研究过患有PTSD的退伍军人中相干性降低与认知功能同时出现的情况。
开展一项试点研究，以评估退伍军人中相干性与信息处理之间的协方差。另一个研究目标是评估HRV生物反馈（HRVB）对这些退伍军人的相干性和信息处理的影响。
方法/设计：采用两组（患有和未患有PTSD的退伍军人）关于相干性和信息处理的前后对照研究，并纳入基线心理测量协变量。
该研究在一家退伍军人事务部医疗中心门诊心理健康诊所进行。
五名患有PTSD的伊拉克或阿富汗退伍军人以及五名有类似战斗经历但未患PTSD的现役士兵。
参与者每周与一名HRVB专业人员会面一次，共4周，在接受共振频率呼吸和积极情绪诱导训练的同时，接收HRV模式的视觉反馈。
心脏相干性、单词表学习、Go-Nogo反应时间中的错误（误报）、倒背数字。
所有参与者均实现了心脏相干性，且HRVB训练后相干性比率的增加具有显著性。信息处理指标有显著改善。相干性增加的程度可能是认知改善的中介因素。
心脏相干性是个体副交感神经心脏减速控制强度的指标，对个体的注意力和情绪调节至关重要。
