HRV in Children

Methods

HRV coherence analysis in children and adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia

Key Findings

• Reduced HRV coherence correlates with greater symptom burden
• Psychological distress associated with lower HRV coherence
• HRV may serve as biomarker in pediatric fibromyalgia
• HRV biofeedback offers non-pharmacological treatment option

Limitations

Preliminary study, larger samples needed

Methods

Comparison of HRV responses to affective touch and pictures in autistic vs neurotypical children

Key Findings

• Affective touch produced greater HRV response in autistic children
• Visual emotional stimuli modulated HRV more in neurotypical peers
• Age correlated with HRV in autistic children (not cognition)
• Emotion knowledge/regulation associated with HRV in typical development
• Different modalities produce specific ANS regulation patterns

Limitations

Specific to certain types of stimuli, may not generalize

Methods

Pilot RCT of HRV biofeedback in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Key Findings

• HRV biofeedback is feasible in autistic adolescent population
• Participants learned to modulate HRV through biofeedback
• Improvements seen in anxiety measures
• HRV used as both intervention tool and outcome measure
• Promising as adjunct to behavioral interventions

Limitations

Pilot study with small sample, needs larger trials

Methods

Multi-parametric study and meta-analysis of ADHD and HRV

Key Findings

• Children with ADHD show 15-25% lower RMSSD than controls
• Reduced parasympathetic activity during rest and tasks
• HRV differences correlate with symptom severity
• Some stimulant medications may improve HRV
• HRV biofeedback being explored as adjunct treatment

Limitations

Medication effects complicate interpretation, varied age ranges

Methods

Meta-analysis of HRV studies in autism spectrum populations

Key Findings

• Reduced resting vagal tone in autistic individuals
• Atypical HRV responses to social and sensory stimuli
• Lower HRV associated with more anxiety and sensory issues
• Some pilot studies show HRV biofeedback may help
• Individual variation is substantial

Limitations

Heterogeneous autism presentations, limited intervention data

Methods

AHA scientific statement review of adolescent cardiovascular health

Key Findings

• Late sleep timing associated with lower HRV in teens
• Weekend-weekday sleep differences correlated with reduced HRV
• Social jet lag impacts autonomic function
• Early intervention may prevent long-term effects
• Screen time before bed exacerbates circadian disruption

Limitations

Observational data, many confounding factors in adolescence

Methods

Studies of HRV during emotional challenges in preschoolers

Key Findings

• Higher HRV correlates with better self-regulation
• HRV during challenges predicts task performance
• Children with behavior problems display lower HRV
• HRV biofeedback improves self-regulation in children
• Teacher-child relationships influence HRV development

Limitations

Individual development rates vary significantly

Methods

Review of HRV applications in youth sports

Key Findings

• About 30% of young athletes experience overtraining
• Reduced HRV may signal overreaching before symptoms
• HRV helps optimize training loads for young athletes
• Burnout is primary reason for youth sports attrition
• AI models integrating HRV show promise for risk prediction

Limitations

Age-appropriate norms still being established

Methods

Longitudinal study from third trimester through 18 months

Key Findings

• Fetal HRV measured remotely during third trimester
• Low fetal HRV may indicate developmental vulnerability
• Parenting stress interacts with fetal HRV for outcomes
• Early autonomic patterns may predict later development
• Non-invasive monitoring increasingly feasible

Limitations

Complex interactions with postnatal factors