ReviewActa neurologica Belgica2025
Breathe better, live better: the science of slow breathing and heart rate variability.
Review in Acta neurologica Belgica, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of acute high-altitude exposure on heart rate variability: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Pooled it
- Post-Exercise Controlled Breathing Enhances Cardiovascular Recovery and Autonomic Balance: A Randomised Crossover Study.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Trial
- Acute Psychophysiological Effects Of 4-7-8 And Nadi Shodhana Breathing: A Randomized Crossover Study.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2026Article
- Using Biofeedback Nasal Breathing to Augment Relaxation Following Exposure to Mild Stress.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2026Article
- Autonomic Dysregulation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Simultaneous Assessment of Electrodermal, Cardiac, and Oculomotor Responses to Triggering Videos-An Exploratory Study.Brain sciences · 2026Article
- Experience-dependent development of vagal circuitry in rodents and humans.Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2026Review
- Coefficient of variation of R-R intervals during deep breathing as a risk marker of orthostatic blood pressure decline in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.Nagoya journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Acute autonomic modulation during Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation in normal-weight vs. overweight male recreational athletes.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Effects of inspiratory muscle training on cardiorespiratory network physiology: evidence from cardiac autonomic modulation, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and baroreflex sensitivity analysis.Frontiers in network physiology · 2026Article
- Neural-immune-cardiovascular axis: from mechanistic crosstalk to therapeutic targets in cardiovascular disease.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- A systematic review protocol for slow-paced breathing in healthy populations: Impacts on cognition and insights into mechanisms of action.Systematic reviews · 2025Article
- Effects of Seat Vibration on Biometric Signals and Postural Stability in a Simulated Autonomous Driving Environment.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Mechanisms of Virtual Reality-Based Relaxation in Older Adults: A Scoping Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- The Effectiveness of Manual Therapy in the Cervical Spine and Diaphragm, in Combination with Breathing Re-Education Exercises, on the Range of Motion and Forward Head Posture in Patients with Non-Specific Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSlow breathing and heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback have gained attention as non-invasive methods for enhancing autonomic regulation and promoting vagal tone. These techniques are associated with improvements in cardiovascular, respiratory, and neural outcomes, offering potential therapeutic applications for stress-related and chronic conditions.
methodsA scoping review was conducted by analyzing six studies focusing on slow breathing and HRV biofeedback. The included studies involved healthy adults aged between 18 and 60 years, free from major cardiovascular, respiratory, or neurological disorders. Studies were identified through systematic searches in MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, and other databases. Population characteristics, intervention protocols, and outcomes related to HRV, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), baroreflex sensitivity, and neural synchronization were extracted and synthesized. Interventions were applied both acutely (single or short-term sessions) and chronically (ranging from daily sessions over 4-8 weeks).
resultsAll six studies demonstrated significant improvements in HRV parameters, particularly the high-frequency (HF) band, reflecting enhanced parasympathetic activity. RSA increased significantly in studies utilizing tailored breathing patterns, especially those emphasizing longer exhalations. Baroreflex sensitivity improved in interventions combining HRV biofeedback and slow breathing, indicating better cardiovascular adaptability. One study reported neural synchronization between HRV and cortical potentials with decelerated breathing. Across studies, these interventions promoted relaxation, enhanced autonomic flexibility, and stabilized cardiovascular function. Autonomic flexibility refers to the dynamic ability of the autonomic nervous system to adapt to internal and external stressors by shifting between sympathetic and parasympathetic dominance.
conclusionsSlow breathing and HRV biofeedback are effective, non-invasive interventions for improving autonomic regulation, vagal tone, and stress resilience. These techniques hold promise for managing chronic conditions and enhancing cardiovascular and mental health. Standardization of protocols and long-term evaluations are needed to optimize clinical implementation.
Indexed as
Identifiers
40252198What 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.