Rhythmic Stimulation of the Arterial Baroreflex for Conscious Control of
HRV: A Potential Therapeutic Approach for Chronic Stress Alleviation
through Visual and Acoustic Emotional Cues
Abstract
This study examines the effectiveness of Rhythmic Acoustic Emotional
Stimulation (RAES) in modulating Heart Rate Variability (HRV) compared
to Rhythmic Visual Emotional Stimulation (RVES) at the resonant
frequency of the arterial baroreflex (0.1 Hz). HRV is a reliable
indicator of chronic stress, and its optimization holds potential
therapeutic benefits for stress reduction. RVES, pioneered by Evgeny
Vaschillo in 2008, utilizes emotionally charged images to induce
high-amplitude HRV oscillations. This research aims to determine whether
RAES, employing sounds of equivalent emotional valence, can achieve
similar HRV enhancements. A cohort of 30 participants underwent a series
of experiments involving both RVES and RAES protocols. Vaschillo’s RVES
protocol was replicated using visual stimuli to establish baseline
effectiveness, followed by RAES experiments using acoustic stimuli of
comparable emotional valence. Respiration and heart rate were monitored,
with baseline HRV measurements taken before and after each intervention
to evaluate their effects. Results showed significant differences in how
participants responded to the two interventions. During RVES, SDNN
showed significant variability across stimuli (p=0.018p = 0.018p=0.018),
indicating its effectiveness in enhancing overall HRV, while RMSSD
changes were not statistically significant. RAES elicited a significant
interaction between RMSSD and sex (p=0.003p = 0.003p=0.003), with
females demonstrating more pronounced RMSSD responses compared to males.
However, SDNN responses to RAES were minimal and consistent across
stimuli and sexes. In conclusion, RVES appears more effective than RAES
in enhancing HRV, particularly in terms of SDNN variability. The
significant sex-based interaction in RAES highlights its potential for
tailored stress reduction therapies, especially for female populations.
These findings emphasize the importance of considering gender-specific
responses and individual variability when designing HRV-based
interventions.