title: The effects of sighing on the cardiovascular system.
abstract: Elicitation of high-amplitude oscillations in the cardiovascular system may serve to dampen psychophysiological reactivity to emotional and cognitive loading. Prior work has used paced breathing to impose clinically valuable high-amplitude ∼ 0.1 Hz oscillations. In this study, we investigated whether rhythmical sighing could likewise produce high-amplitude cardiovascular oscillations in the very low frequency range (0.003-0.05 Hz). ECG, respiration, skin conductance, and beat-to-beat blood pressure were collected in 24 healthy participants during baseline, 0.1 Hz paced breathing, and 0.02 Hz paced sighing (1 sigh every 50s, with normal breathing interspersed). Results showed that each sigh elicited a strong, well-defined reaction in the cardiovascular system. This reaction did not habituate when participants repeatedly sighed for 8.5 min. The result was a high-amplitude 0.02 Hz oscillation in multiple cardiovascular parameters. Thus, paced sighing is a reliable method for imposing very low frequency oscillations in the cardiovascular system, which has research and clinical implications that warrant further study.
authors.affiliation: Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA. Electronic address: evaschil@rci.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Evgeny G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Vaschillo
authors.affiliation: Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Bronya
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vaschillo
authors.affiliation: Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Buckman
authors.affiliation: Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA. Electronic address: tamng87@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tam
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nguyen-Louie
authors.affiliation: Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Sydney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heiss
authors.affiliation: Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pandina
authors.affiliation: Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Marsha E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bates
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Baroreflex; Cardiovascular system; Rhythmical sighing; Sigh