title: Adaption of cardio-respiratory balance during day-rest compared to deep sleep--an indicator for quality of life?
abstract: Heart rate and breathing rate fluctuations represent interacting physiological oscillations. These interactions are commonly studied using respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) of heart rate variability (HRV) or analyzing cardiorespiratory synchronization. Earlier work has focused on a third type of relationship, the temporal ratio of respiration rate and heart rate (HRR). Each method seems to reveal a specific aspect of cardiorespiratory interaction and may be suitable for assessing states of arousal and relaxation of the organism. We used HRR in a study with 87 healthy subjects to determine the ability to relax during 5 day-resting periods in comparison to deep sleep relaxation. The degree to which a person during waking state could relax was compared to somatic complaints, health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression. Our results show, that HRR is barely connected to balance (LF/HF) in HRV, but significantly correlates to the perception of general health and mental well-being as well as to depression. If relaxation, as expressed in HRR, during day-resting is near to deep sleep relaxation, the subjects felt healthier, indicated better mental well-being and less depressive moods.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Complementary Medicine, University of Berne, Inselspital, Imhoof-Pavillon, 3010 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: von Bonin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Medical University of Graz, Austria and Human Research, Institute for Health Technology and Prevention Research, Weiz, Austria.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grote
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, Autonomic Lab, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Berne, Murtenstrasse 21, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buri
authors.affiliation: Chair for Theory of Medicine, Integrative and Anthroposophic Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cysarz
authors.affiliation: Chair for Theory of Medicine, Integrative and Anthroposophic Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heusser
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Medical University of Graz, Austria and Human Research, Institute for Health Technology and Prevention Research, Weiz, Austria.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.affiliation: Institute of Complementary Medicine, University of Berne, Inselspital, Imhoof-Pavillon, 3010 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, Autonomic Lab, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Berne, Murtenstrasse 21, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: kurt.laederach@dkf.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laederach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001146:Arrhythmia, Sinus / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012119:Respiration; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Day-nap; Deep sleep; Depression; Heart rate variability; Heart respiration rate; Vegetative balance; Well-being