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The age-dependent relationship between resting heart rate variability and functional brain connectivity

D. Kumral, H.L. Schaare, F. Beyer, J. Reinelt, M. Uhlig, F. Liem, L. Lampe, A. Babayan, A. Reiter, M. Erbey, J. Roebbig, M. Loeffler, M.L. Schroeter, D. Husser, A.V. Witte, A. Villringer, M. Gaebler
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/360909
D. Kumral
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
2MindBrainBody Institute at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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H.L. Schaare
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
3International Max Planck Research School NeuroCom, Leipzig, Germany
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F. Beyer
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
4Subproject A1, Collaborative Research Centre 1052 “Obesity Mechanisms”, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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J. Reinelt
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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M. Uhlig
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
3International Max Planck Research School NeuroCom, Leipzig, Germany
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F. Liem
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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L. Lampe
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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A. Babayan
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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A. Reiter
5Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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M. Erbey
2MindBrainBody Institute at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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J. Roebbig
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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M. Loeffler
6LIFE – Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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M.L. Schroeter
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
6LIFE – Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
7Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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D. Husser
8Department of Electrophysiology, Leipzig Heart Centre, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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A.V. Witte
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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A. Villringer
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
2MindBrainBody Institute at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
4Subproject A1, Collaborative Research Centre 1052 “Obesity Mechanisms”, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
6LIFE – Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
9Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité – Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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M. Gaebler
1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
2MindBrainBody Institute at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
6LIFE – Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Abstract

Resting heart rate variability (HRV), an index of parasympathetic cardioregulation and an individual trait marker related to mental and physical health, decreases with age. Previous studies have associated resting HRV with structural and functional properties of the brain – mainly in cortical midline and limbic structures. We hypothesized that HRV may alter its relationship with brain structure and function across the adult lifespan. In 388 healthy subjects of three age groups (140 younger: 26.0±4.2 years, 119 middle-aged: 46.3±6.2 years, 129 older: 66.9±4.7 years), gray matter structure (voxel-based morphometry) and resting-state functional connectivity (eigenvector centrality mapping and exploratory seed-based functional connectivity) were related to resting HRV, measured as the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). Confirming previous findings, resting HRV decreased with age. For HRV-related gray matter volume, there were no statistically significant differences between the age groups, nor similarities across all age groups. In whole-brain functional connectivity analyses, we found an age-dependent association between resting HRV and eigenvector centrality in the bilateral ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), driven by the younger adults. Across all age groups, HRV was positively correlated with network centrality in bilateral posterior cingulate cortex. Seed-based functional connectivity analysis using the vmPFC cluster revealed an HRV-related cortico-cerebellar network in younger but not in middle-aged or older adults. Our results indicate that the decrease of HRV with age is accompanied by changes in functional connectivity along the cortical midline. This extends our knowledge of brain-body interactions and their changes over the lifespan.

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Posted July 03, 2018.
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The age-dependent relationship between resting heart rate variability and functional brain connectivity
D. Kumral, H.L. Schaare, F. Beyer, J. Reinelt, M. Uhlig, F. Liem, L. Lampe, A. Babayan, A. Reiter, M. Erbey, J. Roebbig, M. Loeffler, M.L. Schroeter, D. Husser, A.V. Witte, A. Villringer, M. Gaebler
bioRxiv 360909; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/360909
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The age-dependent relationship between resting heart rate variability and functional brain connectivity
D. Kumral, H.L. Schaare, F. Beyer, J. Reinelt, M. Uhlig, F. Liem, L. Lampe, A. Babayan, A. Reiter, M. Erbey, J. Roebbig, M. Loeffler, M.L. Schroeter, D. Husser, A.V. Witte, A. Villringer, M. Gaebler
bioRxiv 360909; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/360909

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