Differences in heart rate variability in subjects high and low in anxiety sensitivity before and after an interoceptive exposure training

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• Introduction
  • Objective
  • Health stability through heart rate variability
  • Relevance of heart rate variability assessment to pathological anxiety
  • A focus on interoceptive exposure
• Methods
  • Procedure
  • Measures
    • Clinical assessments
    • ECG Recording
    • Functional MRI data acquisition
  • Experimental procedures
    • IE training
    • Cardiac symptom provocation task
  • Data preprocessing and analysis
    • ECG data
    • Functional MRI data
  • Statistical analyses
• Results
  • Sample characteristics
  • Group comparison of heart rate variability
  • Change in heart rate variability
  • Characteristics associated with change in heart rate variability
• Discussion
  • Group comparison of heart rate variability
  • Change in heart rate variability
  • Characteristics associated with change in heart rate variability
  • Additional observations
  • Study limitations
• Conclusion and perspective
• References

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This diploma thesis investigates the differences in heart rate variability (HRV) between individuals high and low in anxiety sensitivity (AS) before and after an interoceptive exposure (IE) training. The study aims to explore the impact of IE on HRV, specifically examining how HRV changes in response to the training in individuals with varying levels of AS.

• Heart rate variability as a marker of health stability
• The role of anxiety sensitivity in influencing HRV
• The effectiveness of interoceptive exposure training in modifying HRV
• The impact of IE on the relationship between AS and HRV
• The potential clinical implications of the findings for anxiety disorders

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction provides a comprehensive overview of HRV and its relevance to health, particularly in the context of anxiety disorders. It discusses the concept of AS and its influence on HRV, highlighting the importance of interoceptive exposure as a therapeutic intervention. The methods section details the study design, participants, measures, and data analysis techniques employed. Results present the findings regarding HRV differences between AS groups before and after the IE training. The discussion section interprets the findings, drawing connections between HRV, AS, and IE. It also explores the clinical implications of the results and acknowledges study limitations.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis focuses on the key concepts of heart rate variability, anxiety sensitivity, interoceptive exposure, and their relationship to anxiety disorders. The study investigates the impact of an interoceptive exposure training program on heart rate variability in individuals with varying levels of anxiety sensitivity, providing insights into the mechanisms of action and potential clinical applications of this intervention.