Resting HRV as a trait marker of rumination in healthy individuals? A
large cross-sectional analysis
Abstract
The tendency to ruminate (i.e., repetitive, self-referential, negative
thoughts) is a maladaptive form of emotional regulation and represents a
transdiagnostic vulnerability factor for stress-related psychopathology.
Vagally-mediated heart rate variability (HRV), reflecting
parasympathetic nervous system activity, is commonly used as a
physiological marker of stress regulation. Past research has suggested a
link between trait rumination and resting HRV at baseline; however,
inconsistent results exist in healthy individuals. In this study, we
investigated the association between the tendency to ruminate and
resting HRV measured at baseline in a healthy population using a large
cross-sectional dataset (N = 1189, 88% women; mean age = 21.55, ranging
from 17 to 48 years old), which was obtained by combining samples of
healthy individuals from different studies from our laboratory. The
results showed no cross-sectional correlation between resting baseline
HRV and trait rumination (confirmed by Bayesian analyses), even after
controlling for important confounders such as gender, age, and
depressive symptoms. Also, a nonlinear relationship was rejected. In
summary, based on our results in a large sample of healthy individuals,
baseline resting HRV is not a trait marker of the tendency to ruminate.