Research performed on rats at Loyola University in 2007 showed a relationship between decreased heart rate variability and behavior inhibition. The results of this study support the claim that depressed HRV and mood are often associated with an increase in mortality for those who are suffering from congestive heart failure.
Behavioral Inhibition
Behavioral inhibition may also be known as social anxiety disorder. If you suffer from behavioral inhibition, you may experience symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, avoidance, fear and withdrawal from society. Behavioral inhibition symptoms can be extreme reluctance or avoidance of new situations and unfamiliar people.
Heart Rate Variability
HRV is a variation in your heart beat. Instead of your heart beating to a consistent rhythm, your heart varies its beat in response to your emotions or your environment. The HRV is a normal response when irregular beats happen occasionally, but it can signal underlying medical conditions if the irregularity is severe. If your HRV decreases its response to stimulus, it may be a sign of congestive heart failure.
Research
Researchers at Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine examined the behavior of rats that have chronic heart failure and anxiety compared to healthy rats. The CHF rats exhibited more behavioral inhibition symptoms, such as anxiety and fear in a maze, and also demonstrated increased self-destructive behavior, such as jumping head-first off a platform. Researchers suggest that the rats with CHF demonstrated more escape-seeking behavior than the control group.
Results
The CHF rats involved in the study were found to have decreased heart rate variability. Researchers suggest that the autonomic, meaning your body continues this function without your conscious thought, regulation of HRV and the central nervous system, may both be decreased in those with CHF. This reduction in the central nervous system may change a person's fight-or-flight response into a reduced ability to handle anxiety and panic attacks.
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