ReviewFrontiers in physiology2021
The Heart in the Mind: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Theory of Mind and Cardiac Vagal Tone.
Review in Frontiers in physiology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Unveiling the role of cerebellar alterations in the autonomic nervous system: a systematic review of autonomic dysfunction in spinocerebellar ataxias.Journal of neurology · 2023Pooled it
- Cardiac Autonomic Dynamics Differentially Shape Cognitive and Affective Theory of Mind: Evidence From Respiratory Manipulation.Psychophysiology · 2026Article
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Explores Cardiac Autonomic Control as a Psychophysiological Mechanism Supporting Social Cognition.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2026Article
- Autonomic Nervous System and Possible Determinants of Social Behavior: A Systematic Review of its Relationship Among Psychopathy, Compassion, and Theory of Mind.Clinical neuropsychiatry · 2025Review
- Article
- Racial biases, facial trustworthiness, and resting heart rate variability: unravelling complexities in pain recognition.Cognitive research: principles and implications · 2024Article
- Using Digital Biomarkers for Objective Assessment of Perfusionists' Workload and Acute Stress During Cardiac Surgery.Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering : 10th International Work-Conference, IWBBIO 2023, Meloneras, Gran Canaria, Spain, July 12-14, 2023, Proceedings. Part I. IWBBIO (Conference) (10th : 2023 : Gran Canaria, Canary Islands) · 2023Article
- Associations of social processing abilities with psychosocial stress sensitivity.Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) is the human ability to infer the mental states of others in order to understand their behaviors and plan own actions. In the past decades, accumulating evidence has shown that heart rate variability (HRV), an index of parasympathetic control of the heart, is linked to behavioral regulation, social competence, and social cognition abilities, all implicated-to some extent-in ToM. This study aims to systematically review and meta-analyze the available studies, investigating the relation between ToM and HRV in typically developing people. Six studies were eligible for the meta-analysis, yielding a significant association between HRV and ToM of a small-to-medium effect size (
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.