The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a branch of the peripheral nervous system which exerts control over smooth muscles and glands. As the name suggests, the ANS is responsible for the largely unconscious regulation of bodily functions including …
Lower resting vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV) is thought to reflect poorer function of the neurophysiological pathways underlying emotion regulation (ER) and thus, poorer ER abilities. Sex differences in resting HRV exists such that …
Previous research has suggested that heart rate variability (HRV; the variability in the interval between successive heartbeats) can predict the perception of experimentally-induced pain (i.e., pain sensitivity). However, little research has sought …
The neural systems involved in autonomic control and perception of pain are closely coupled, and extensive interactions between these sets of neural structures can be observed. The functional interaction of these systems is an important component of …
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is capable of modulating pain. Aberrations in heart rate variability (HRV), reflective of ANS activity, are associated with experimental pain sensitivity, chronic pain, and more recently, pain modulatory mechanisms …
Heart rate variability (HRV) refers to variation in the interval between successive heart beats. Low HRV is an indicator of potential autonomic nervous system dysfunction. People with chronic pain often display autonomic dysregulation, especially in …
A traumatic experience can lead to poor emotion-regulation and hyperarousal. The hormone oxytocin appears to normalise emotional reactivity in persons with symptoms of psychopathology, and modulates the salience of social and emotional cues, leading …
Empathy involves both affective and cognitive components whereby we understand, and express concerns for, the experiences of others. Women typically have superior trait empathy compared with men, which seems to have a neurological basis with sex …
Empathy is a critical social process that involves both affective and cognitive components. Several studies have found that women have superior trait empathy compared with men, and there may be a biological basis for these differences. We …