Key result
High baseline anxiety linked to blunted and prolonged HRV responses to acute stress.
Why the study?
Baseline state anxiety before stressors offers an important perspective for understanding how pre-existing anxiety influences physiological responses to subsequent stressors.
Does high baseline state anxiety alter heart rate variability responses during acute stress and recovery in healthy young adults?
Observational (n=59)
No
Does high baseline state anxiety alter heart rate variability responses during acute stress and recovery in healthy young adults?
Effect estimate: Hedges's g 0.57 (95% CI 0.00-1.14)
Absolute Event Rate: 72.59% vs 59.63%
p-value: p=0.036
Individuals with high baseline state anxiety exhibit blunted and prolonged autonomic responses to acute stress compared to those with low baseline anxiety.
May indicate autonomic vulnerability in anxious young adults; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation before any clinical application.
Baseline state anxiety, which reflects an individual’s initial anxiety level before stressors, offers an important perspective for understanding how pre-existing anxiety influences responses to subsequent stressors. This study investigated physiological changes in 59 participants grouped by low (n = 32, LbSA group) and high (n = 27, HbSA group) baseline state anxiety levels, measured using the Short State Anxiety Inventory. Participants underwent three phases: baseline (T1), the modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) task (T2), and recovery (T3). ECG signals were recorded and six heart rate variability (HRV) features were analyzed across time, frequency, and non-linear domains using a mixed linear model. In T2, the LbSA group showed significantly increased SDNN (t= 2.662, p= 0.027) and decreased RR_Mean (t= -6.819, p< 0.001) and SampEn (t= -2.985, p= 0.010). In contrast, the HbSA group only showed a decreased RR_Mean (t= -5.641, p< 0.001). In T3, the HRV changes in the LbSA group rebounded, whereas the HbSA group did not, resulting in significantly increased SDNN (t= 3.187, p= 0.006), RMSSD (t= 3.719, p= 0.001) and LnLF (t= 3.800, p= 0.001). Additionally, between-group differences reached significance for SampEn in T2 (t= 1.301, p= 0.044) and for SDNN (t= 2.215, p= 0.036) and RMSSD (t= 2.209, p= 0.046) in T3. Compared to the individuals with low baseline state anxiety, which shows rapid changes under stress and quick recovery afterward, the individuals with high baseline state anxiety exhibit blunted and prolonged responses. The findings highlight the potential influence of baseline state anxiety on autonomic regulatory capacity, suggesting the importance of modulating state anxiety.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Xu et al. (2025) conducted an observational in State anxiety (n=59). High baseline state anxiety vs. Low baseline state anxiety was evaluated on SDNN during recovery phase (T3) (Hedges's g 0.57, 95% CI 0.00-1.14, p=0.036). Individuals with high baseline state anxiety exhibited blunted and prolonged heart rate variability responses to acute stress compared to those with low baseline anxiety, including significantly higher SDNN during recovery.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: