Neural correlates of heart rate variability in PTSD during sub‐ and supraliminal processing of trauma‐related cues

摘要

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by dysregulated arousal and altered cardiac autonomic response as evidenced by decreased high‐frequency heart rate variability (HF‐HRV), an indirect measure of parasympathetic modulation of the heart. Indeed, subtle threatening cues can cause autonomic dysregulation, even without explicit awareness of the triggering stimulus. Accordingly, examining the neural underpinnings associated with HF‐HRV during both sub‐ and supraliminal exposure to trauma‐related cues is critical to an enhanced understanding of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in PTSD.