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. 2014 Sep 30;5:1040. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01040

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Copyright © 2014 Shaffer, McCraty and Zerr.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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The neural communication pathways interacting between the heart and the brain are responsible for the generation of HRV. The intrinsic cardiac nervous system integrates information from the extrinsic nervous system and from the sensory neurites within the heart. The extrinsic cardiac ganglia located in the thoracic cavity have connections to the lungs and esophagus and are indirectly connected via the spinal cord to many other organs such as the skin and arteries. The vagus nerve (parasympathetic) primarily consists of afferent (flowing to the brain) fibers which connect to the medulla, after passing through the nodose ganglion. Credit: Institute of HeartMath.