Why the study?
Does exteroceptive feedback enable subjects to voluntarily change their heart rate?
Does exteroceptive feedback enable subjects to voluntarily change their heart rate?
Voluntary large magnitude heart rate changes can be achieved with exteroceptive feedback, though immediate responses suggest feedback may not be the primary mediator.
Voluntary bidirectional HR changes may be feasible with feedback; case report leaves open mediation and mechanisms for controlled study.
Four subjects who were given exteroceptive, auditory and visual feedback, and were asked to raise and to lower their heart rate on signal, were able to produce large magnitude changes in both directions. The fact that some of these changes occurred immediately suggests that feedback may not be as important as some authors have suggested. Respiratory changes and changes in muscle tension did not appear to be mediators.
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Stephens et al. (1972) studied this question.
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