Inter-individual differences in heart rate variability are associated with inter-individual differences in mind-reading.
Alexander LischkeDaniela LemkeJörg NeubertAlfons O HammMartin LotzePublished in: Scientific reports (2017)
In the present study, we investigated whether inter-individual differences in vagally-mediated cardiac activity (high frequency heart rate variability, HF-HRV) would be associated with inter-individual differences in mind-reading, a specific aspect of social cognition. To this end, we recorded resting state HF-HRV in 49 individuals before they completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, a test that required the identification of mental states on basis of subtle facial cues. As expected, inter-individual differences in HF-HRV were associated with inter-individual differences in mental state identification: Individuals with high HF-HRV were more accurate in the identification of positive but not negative states than individuals with low HF-HRV. Individuals with high HF-HRV may, thus, be more sensitive to positive states of others, which may increase the likelihood to detect cues that encourage approach and affiliative behavior in social contexts. Inter-individual differences in mental state identification may, thus, explain why individuals with high HF-HRV have been shown to be more successful in initiating and maintaining social relationships than individuals with low HF-HRV.
Keyphrases
- heart rate variability
- acute heart failure
- mental health
- high frequency
- heart rate
- resting state
- healthcare
- functional connectivity
- working memory
- transcranial magnetic stimulation
- bioinformatics analysis
- left ventricular
- blood pressure
- mild cognitive impairment
- multiple sclerosis
- mass spectrometry
- white matter
- atomic force microscopy