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Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia and Parasympathetic Cardiac Control: Some Basic Issues Concerning Quantification, Applications and Implications

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Cardiorespiratory and Cardiosomatic Psychophysiology

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSA,volume 114))

Abstract

In recent years, increasing attention has been directed to the phenomenon of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) by physiologists and psychophysiologists (e.g. Fouad et al., 1984; Haddad et al., 1984; Porges, McCabe and Yongue, 1982; Zemaityte, Varoneckas and Sokolov, 1984). This has largely been a consequence of the finding that RSA magnitude is a sensitive index of cardiac parasympathetic control under various conditions (first shown by Katona and Jih, 1975). An easily obtainable noninvasive measure of specific neural influences upon the heart is likely to generate much enthusiasm, debate and discussion revolving around issues of the actual validity of the index, the most appropriate RSA parameter to use for the measure, the physiological mechanisms precisely underlying the phenomenon, and potential research and clinical application areas. The purpose of the present paper is to delve into these various aspects of RSA as cardiac vagal index, not in terms of a comprehensive review of these issues, but rather in an effort to point out certain misunderstood and overlooked areas.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Stress Research, Department of Physiological Psychology, Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    P. Grossman

  2. TNO-Institute for Perception, Department of Physiological Psychology, Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    K. Wientjes

Authors
  1. P. Grossman
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  2. K. Wientjes
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Stress Research and Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    P. Grossman

  2. Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    K. H. L. Janssen

  3. University of Giessen, Giessen, Federal Republic of Germany

    D. Vaitl

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© 1986 Plenum Press, New York

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Grossman, P., Wientjes, K. (1986). Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia and Parasympathetic Cardiac Control: Some Basic Issues Concerning Quantification, Applications and Implications. In: Grossman, P., Janssen, K.H.L., Vaitl, D. (eds) Cardiorespiratory and Cardiosomatic Psychophysiology. NATO ASI Series, vol 114. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0360-3_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0360-3_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-0362-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-0360-3

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