Investigation of Heart Brain Interactions during Internally Operative versus Externally Operative Attention Regulatory Mechanisms

Abstract

Human response facilitates the attention as an ability to focus on entity over newlineother entities in external space, which can be classified as, internally operative newline(AI) and externally operative (AE) attention. The complex and dynamics interplay newlinebetween heart and brain mediate human attention and emotions. This newlineinvestigation utilize simultaneous assessment of heart and brain signals to differentiate newlineAI and AE attention. newlineBehavioural and electrophysiological analysis identified differences in AI and AE newlineattention. A modified Posner s spatial cueing task features identical stimulus newlineconditions that usually devised to differentiate AI and AE attention. Indeed, newlineprobabilities of valid peripheral cue with respect to subsequent target location newlineis different for AI and AE attention. Non-invasive simultaneous measurements newlineof participant s ECG and EEG signals were used during eight sessions of experiment, newlinewhich includes: baseline, alternating session of internal and external newlineattention task, and recovery. Reaction time-series, detection rate, accuracy, error newlinerate, and cueing effect computed to validate the behavioural aspects of attention newlinetask to differentiate between AI and AE attention. newlineThe heart-brain fluctuations are regulated by central and autonomic nervous newlinesystem (ANS) to maintain homeostasis. ANS represent dynamic regulation of newlinesympathetic and parasympathetic nerve activity. Their continual fluctuations in newlineheart-rate are known as heart rate variability (HRV). The heart and brain interactions newlinecan be quantified through electrocardiogram (ECG), electroencephalogram newline(EEG). Thus, neurocardiac response to attention is examined using linear and newlinenon-linear electrophysiological signal processing techniques. Physiological timeseries: newlineRR-intervals of HRV as heart signal, and spectral analysis of non-invasive newlineEEG as brain signal, were investigated using linear and non-linear electrophysiological newlinesignal processing techniques. newlineLow Frequency power of HRV signal (HRV-LF) and EEG delta ( ) and theta slow newlinewave frequencies (and#9674;1 = 3-