| Title | Heart rate variability during a continuous performance test in children with problems of attention. | ||
| Author | Eisenberg, Jacques; Richman, Rafael | ||
| Journal | Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci | Publication Year/Month | 2011 |
| PMID | 21572238 | PMCID | -N/A- |
| Affiliation | 1.Childrens Clinic, Community Mental Hearth Center, Herzog Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel. jaques@cc.huji.ac.il. | ||
BACKGROUND: Children with impulsive behavior and poor self regulation have been shown to have low parasympathetic tone. High vagal tone is associated with attention to novel stimuli. OBJECTIVE: To study if Heart Rate Variability, an index of vagal tone, is a mediator of attention. METHOD: 77 children who performed a Continuous Performance test (TOVA test) had their EKG recorded for Heart Rate Variability Measurements. Subjects were assigned to groups according to their performance on the TOVA test and a general linear model for repeated measures applied. Pearson Correlations were applied for TOVA scores and HRV Values at four epochs. RESULTS: No individual correlations were found between Attention Scores and HRV. However, there was a significant group difference showing that good performers had a higher "vagal" tone than poor performers. CONCLUSION: The parasympathetic system as measured through HRV is not a mediator of attention. HRV may be an indicator of better health and ability to self regulate.