TABLE 5.
Mean scores and standard deviations for the heart rate variability parameters over time in the four cognitive task blocks.
|
RMSSD (ms) |
HF (ms2) |
Respiratory frequency (cycles per minute) |
|||||
| Active Stimulation | Sham Stimulation | Active Stimulation | Sham Stimulation | Active Stimulation | Sham Stimulation | ||
| Flanker Task | Resting | 48.43 (22.38) | 52.34 (26.56) | 13.81 (8.78) | 13.71 (12.45) | 12.36 (2.06) | 12.19 (2.68) |
| tVNS | 52.56 (28.53) | 54.66 (25.02) | 15.27 (11.26) | 19.59 (13.94) | 12.51 (2.40) | 12.10 (2.91) | |
| Task | 55.44 (29.81) | 55.26 (24.66) | 14.44 (9.60) | 16.16 (11.56) | 12.23 (2.33) | 11.66(3.03) | |
| Spatial | Resting | 52.38 (27.64) | 53.48 (21.52) | 12.97 (10.05) | 14.12 (10.80) | 14.70 (9.61) | 15.85 (10.79) |
| Stroop Task | tVNS | 54.47(25.99) | 58.85 (26.31) | 18.74(13.19) | 17.31(13.60) | 19.60(11.82) | 19.16(15.58) |
| Task | 55.93(26.89) | 50.70(19.28) | 15.65 (8.45) | 17.45 (13.91) | 16.25 (9.12) | 20.32 (16.48) | |
| NLT | Resting | 51.82(24.75) | 50.07 (22.2) | 18.06(12.22) | 13.83(10.98) | 12.20 (2.03) | 12.02(2.33) |
| tVNS | 49.91(21.12) | 51.82(20.44) | 18.51(12.56) | 18.85 (15.07) | 12.27 (2.05) | 12.38(2.64) | |
| Task | 50.28(25.77) | 48.78(18.45) | 17.78(12.13) | 17.547(9.40) | 12.06 (1.88) | 12.17(2.48) | |
| DCCS | Resting | 54.26(24.46) | 51.82(22.46) | 14.93(10.11) | 16.24(14.98) | 13.52 (8.82) | 15.66(13.96) |
| tVNS | 54.90(25.86) | 57.4 (24.75) | 17.56(12.57) | 19.59(13.11) | 17.95(12.18) | 19.23(12.80) | |
| Task | 56.36(24.52) | 55.41(23.24) | 19.83(13.16) | 17.55(11.14) | 20.76(11.75) | 19.90(10.07) | |
RMSSD, root mean square of the successive differences; HF, high frequency; tVNS, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (single stimulation phase); NLT, Number Letter task; DCCS, Dimensional Change Card Sorting task.