Title | Modulating heart rate oscillation affects plasma amyloid beta and tau levels in younger and older adults. | ||
Author | Min, Jungwon; Rouanet, Jeremy; Martini, Alessandra Cadete; Nashiro, Kaoru; Yoo, Hyun Joo; Porat, Shai; Cho, Christine; Wan, Junxiang; Cole, Steve W; Head, Elizabeth; Nation, Daniel A; Thayer, Julian F; Mather, Mara | ||
Journal | Sci Rep | Publication Year/Month | 2023-Mar |
PMID | 36894565 | PMCID | PMC9998394 |
Affiliation + expend | 1.University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. |
Slow paced breathing via heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback stimulates vagus-nerve pathways that counter noradrenergic stress and arousal pathways that can influence production and clearance of Alzheimer\'s disease (AD)-related proteins. Thus, we examined whether HRV biofeedback intervention affects plasma Alphabeta40, Alphabeta42, total tau (tTau), and phosphorylated tau-181 (pTau-181) levels. We randomized healthy adults (N = 108) to use slow-paced breathing with HRV biofeedback to increase heart rate oscillations (Osc+) or to use personalized strategies with HRV biofeedback to decrease heart rate oscillations (Osc-). They practiced 20-40 min daily. Four weeks of practicing the Osc+ and Osc- conditions produced large effect size differences in change in plasma Abeta40 and Abeta42 levels. The Osc+ condition decreased plasma Alphabeta while the Osc- condition increased Alphabeta. Decreases in Alphabeta were associated with decreases in gene transcription indicators of beta-adrenergic signaling, linking effects to the noradrenergic system. There were also opposing effects of the Osc+ and Osc- interventions on tTau for younger adults and pTau-181 for older adults. These results provide novel data supporting a causal role of autonomic activity in modulating plasma AD-related biomarkers.Trial registration: NCT03458910 (ClinicalTrials.gov); first posted on 03/08/2018.