Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
Biol Psychol. 2023 May;180:108589. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108589. Epub 2023 May 24.
The polyvagal collection of hypotheses is based upon five essential premises, as stated by its author (Porges, 2011). Polyvagal conjectures rest on a primary assumption that brainstem ventral and dorsal vagal regions in mammals each have their own unique mediating effects upon control of heart rate. The polyvagal hypotheses link these putative dorsal- vs. ventral-vagal differences to socioemotional behavior (e.g. defensive immobilization, and social affiliative behaviors, respectively), as well as to trends in the evolution of the vagus nerve (e.g. Porges, 2011 & 2021a). Additionally, it is essential to note that only one measurable phenomenon-as index of vagal processes-serves as the linchpin for virtually every premise. That phenomenon is respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), heart-rate changes coordinated to phase of respiration (i.e. inspiration vs. expiration), often employed as an index of vagally, or parasympathetically, mediated control of heart rate. The polyvagal hypotheses assume that RSA is a mammalian phenomenon, since Porges (2011) states "RSA has not been observed in reptiles." I will here briefly document how each of these basic premises have been shown to be either untenable or highly implausible based on the available scientific literature. I will also argue that the polyvagal reliance upon RSA as equivalent to general vagal tone or even cardiac vagal tone is conceptually a category mistake (Ryle, 1949), confusing an approximate index (i.e. RSA) of a phenomenon (some general vagal process) with the phenomenon, itself.
多导假说集合基于其作者（Porges，2011）提出的五个基本前提。多导假设基于一个主要假设，即哺乳动物脑干的腹侧和背侧迷走区域各自对心率控制具有独特的调节作用。多导假说将这些假定的背侧与腹侧迷走差异与社会情感行为（例如防御性固定和社交亲和行为）以及迷走神经进化趋势（例如 Porges，2011 和 2021a）联系起来。此外，必须注意的是，几乎每个前提都只有一个可测量的现象——作为迷走过程的指标——作为关键。那个现象就是呼吸窦性心律失常（RSA），心率变化与呼吸相位协调（即吸气与呼气），通常用作迷走神经或副交感神经介导的心率控制的指标。多导假说假设 RSA 是哺乳动物的现象，因为 Porges（2011）指出“在爬行动物中没有观察到 RSA”。我将在这里简要记录这些基本前提中的每一个是如何根据现有科学文献被证明是站不住脚或极不可信的。我还将争辩说，多导假说将 RSA 等同于一般迷走神经张力甚至心脏迷走神经张力在概念上是一个范畴错误（Ryle，1949），混淆了一个近似指标（即 RSA）与现象本身的现象（某些一般迷走神经过程）。
