Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35299845›Full record

ReviewJournal of cognitive enhancement : towards the integration of theory and practice2022

Does Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Enhance Executive Functions Across the Lifespan? A Systematic Review.

Doriana Tinello, Matthias Kliegel, Sascha Zuber

Open access · hybridAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of cognitive enhancement : towards the integration of theory and practice, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
4.1field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  7. "Brain-IT": Exergame training with biofeedback breathing in neurocognitive disorders.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2024
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  13. Heart Rate Variability, Hypnosis, and Psychotherapy.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2025
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Doriana TinelloDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education, University of Geneva, 28 Boulevard du Pont d'Arve, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
Matthias KliegelDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education, University of Geneva, 28 Boulevard du Pont d'Arve, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
Sascha ZuberDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education, University of Geneva, 28 Boulevard du Pont d'Arve, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
University of Geneva · CHFORS – Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The scope of this systematic review was to summarize the existing literature on the effects of heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) on executive functions (EFs) across the lifespan. Specifically, it aimed to investigate the factors that may affect the efficacy of HRV-BF interventions, such as the study population, duration and intensity of the intervention, or the technical equipment. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies that measured and presented at least one EF were included. We included controlled and uncontrolled trials involving clinical and general populations. From the initial list of 137 papers, 16 final studies were reviewed, with 777 participants. Fifty-six percent of the studies included in this review reported significant positive effects of HRV-BF intervention on at least one EF. Attention was the domain that most often benefited from the intervention. The majority of EF improvements (78%) occurred in studies that addressed patient populations or individuals that may present particular profiles: individuals exposed to stress, professional athletes, war veterans, children and adults with ADHD, and clinical older patients. The remaining studies (22%) that reported significant improvements focused on the general population. Efficacy was neither related to the duration or intensity of the intervention nor related to the technical equipment. Overall, our review shows that HRV-BF may be beneficial (a) to increase attentional skills, inhibition, and working memory and (b) when targeting more vulnerable individuals or individuals with particular profiles. However, further development of standardized, controlled protocols and consistent reporting of effect sizes may contribute to establishing the relevance of HRV-BF biofeedback interventions within the field of cognitive enhancement. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41465-021-00218-3.

Indexed as

BiofeedbackCognitive enhancementExecutive functionsHeart rate variabilityInterventionSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID35299845
PMCPMC8901517
OpenAlexW3177056210

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.