ReviewPsychiatry investigation2018
Stress and Heart Rate Variability: A Meta-Analysis and Review of the Literature.
Review in Psychiatry investigation, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 14 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 889 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effects of 4 Weeks of Chiropractic Care Plus Physiotherapy Compared to Physiotherapy Alone on Functional Outcomes in Chronic Stroke Patients: a Clinical Trial
Investigation of Possible Effects of a Lifestyle Product in a Double-blind Pre-Post-Between-Groups Study
Addressing Provider Stress and Unconscious Bias to Improve Quality of Maternal Health Care
Investigating the Effects of Stellate Ganglion Block and Superior Cervical Ganglion Block on Sleep and Recovery Using Biometric Capture Devices
Enhancing Wellbeing in Secondary School Students: A 2-Year Prospective Cohort Study on an App-based Approach With Wellness Resources, Coaching Support, and Biofeedback Monitoring
Influence of Attentional Control on Protective Arm Responses to Balance Perturbations in Older Adults and People With Peripheral Neuropathy
Teaching Youth & Families Self-Regulation Skills to Disrupt the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences: Preventing Substance Use in Adversity- Impacted Youth
The Effect of Breathing Interventions on Biomarkers of Stress and Cognitive Performance Following a Psychologically Stressful Task
Evaluating the Feasibility and Preliminary Effects of a Remotely Delivered Dyad-Based Intervention Incorporating Resistance Training to Improve Fitness in Individuals With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and in Their Partners
CFT@TeenSAD - Understanding the Impact of Online Delivered Compassion Focused Therapy on Social Anxiety Symptoms, Emotion Regulation and Heart Rate Variability.
Investigating Cardiovascular Reactivity and Recovery of Young Adults During Grief-Recall, With Self-Affirmation as Potential Intervention
Step by Step Back - A Feasibility Study of a CBT-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Stress-Related Exhaustion
Heart Rate Variability and Processed EEG Features as Predictors of Postoperative Outcomes After Cranial Neurosurgery - A Prospective Observational Study in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
NeuroFinance Human Stress Trial During Financial and Informational Volatility (NFHST)
Who cites it
889 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Use of Wearable Sensors in Angelman Syndrome: A Systematic Review.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR · 2026Pooled it
- Physiological Responses to Virtual Reality-Based Stress Regulation and Relaxation Interventions: A Systematic Review.Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress · 2026Pooled it
- Investigation of Heart Rate Variability Indices in Motion Sickness.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Pooled it
- Effect of Brief Mindfulness Meditation Interventions on Heart Rate Variability in Adults: A Systematic Review.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2026Pooled it
- Heart rate variability in people with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Acta neurologica Belgica · 2026Pooled it
- Heart rate variability as a dual-use digital biomarker: integrating clinical, AI, and operational perspectives on human performance and resilience.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2026Pooled it
- When is rPPG physiologically valid for stress and workload monitoring? A PRISMA-ScR scoping review.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Pooled it
- Computational analysis of heart rate variability in ASD and ADHD: a systematic review.Frontiers in computational neuroscience · 2026Pooled it
- An Overview of Stress Analysis Based on Physiological Signals: Systematic Review of Open Datasets and Current Trends.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Mobile-Delivered Exercise and Yoga Programs on Depressive Symptom Reduction in Employees: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR human factors · 2026Trial
- Impact of body mass index on blood pressure and cardiovascular adaptation to isometric exercise training.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Trial
- Acute psychological stress transiently increases arterial stiffness in young adults.Journal of human hypertension · 2026Trial
- Skin-attached bioadhesive patch enabling ultrasound deep brain stimulation and real-time electrophysiological monitoring for REM sleep enhancement.Nature communications · 2026Trial
- The Impact of BWM-T Versus Brief Mindfulness Induction on Stress, Anxiety and Self-Efficacy in University Students: Immediate and Short-Term Outcomes of RCT on Psychological Well-Being and Autonomic Balance.Brain and behavior · 2026Trial
- Smelling Wellness: Associations Between Botanic Garden Scentscapes and Human Health Gains.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Trial
- Hypnosis reshapes multilevel stress response and enhances executive performance in stressed medical students.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Effect of rescuer heart rate changes on the quality of infant CPR: a simulation-based study.BMC medical education · 2025Trial
- Comprehensive Mitigation of Peripheral and Central Stress Responses by Nx4: Insights From EEG and Heart Rate Variability in Post-Stress Resting State.Human psychopharmacology · 2025Trial
- Effects of mindfulness breathing meditation on stress and cognitive functions: a heart rate variability and eye-tracking study.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Effects of PeptiSleep™ on sleep modification and biometrics in adults with sleep impairment: A randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study.Sleep medicine: X · 2026Article
829 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivePhysical or mental imbalance caused by harmful stimuli can induce stress to maintain homeostasis. During chronic stress, the sympathetic nervous system is hyperactivated, causing physical, psychological, and behavioral abnormalities. At present, there is no accepted standard for stress evaluation. This review aimed to survey studies providing a rationale for selecting heart rate variability (HRV) as a psychological stress indicator.
methodsTerm searches in the Web of Science
resultsIn most studies, HRV variables changed in response to stress induced by various methods. The most frequently reported factor associated with variation in HRV variables was low parasympathetic activity, which is characterized by a decrease in the high-frequency band and an increase in the low-frequency band. Neuroimaging studies suggested that HRV may be linked to cortical regions (e.g., the ventromedial prefrontal cortex) that are involved in stressful situation appraisal.
conclusionIn conclusion, the current neurobiological evidence suggests that HRV is impacted by stress and supports its use for the objective assessment of psychological health and stress.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.