Mental stress from a reaction-time test significantly decreased energy in the 0.1-Hz band of heart rate variability (from 899 to 482; P<0.01), whereas a mental arithmetic test caused no change.
Observational (n=135)
Do mental tasks (reaction-time and mental arithmetic) increase the 0.1-Hz component of heart rate variability similarly to tilt tests in unmedicated men?
The response of the 0.1-Hz component of heart rate variability to mental stress is task-specific, indicating it may not be a uniform marker of increased sympathetic tone.
Absolute Event Rate: 482% vs 899%
p-value: p=<0.01
It has been claimed that an increase in the 0.1-Hz component in power spectra of heart rate variability indicates an increased sympathetic tone. We tested 135 middle-aged unmedicated men (mean age 44 +/- 7 years) with two types of mental tasks, a reaction-time test and a mental arithmetic test, to determine whether the results were comparable with those from tilt tests. Although both tasks significantly increased the heart rate and blood pressure, to the same extent as the tilt tests, energy in the 0.1-Hz band decreased during the reaction-time test (from 899 +/- 641 to 482 +/- 430; P less than 0.01) yet was unchanged during the mental arithmetic test. We conclude that the response of the 0.1-Hz component is a task-specific phenomenon.
Langewitz et al. (1989) conducted an observational in Mental stress (n=135). Mental tasks (reaction-time test and mental arithmetic test) vs. Baseline was evaluated on Energy in the 0.1-Hz band of heart rate variability power spectra (p=<0.01). Mental stress from a reaction-time test significantly decreased energy in the 0.1-Hz band of heart rate variability (from 899 to 482; P<0.01), whereas a mental arithmetic test caused no change.