A relationship between brainstem auditory evoked potential and vagal control of heart rate in adult women.

Numerous studies have investigated the connection between autonomic control of heart rate (HR) and auditory stimulus. Yet, the literature lacks evidence of a close association between auditory brainstem processing and HR autonomic control. We aimed to evaluate and verify the relationship between auditory brainstem response (ABR) and HR variability (HRV) in healthy women. Forty­six healthy female subjects, between the ages of 18 and 30 years old participated in the study. They were subjected to an audiometry examination, followed by rest for 10 minutes for HR recording. Next, ABR evaluation was completed discretely in both ears, with I, III and V wave components. Linear regression revealed that the root­mean square of differences between adjacent normal RR intervals (RMSSD) and the triangular interpolation of RR interval (TINN) exhibited a significant association with Wave I in the right ear. These variables contributed to 28.2% (R²) of Wave I. In conclusion, there was a significant interaction between the autonomic control of HR and auditory processing in the right ear, suggesting that vagal tone interacts with the cochlear nerve.

An exploration of heart rate response to differing music rhythm and tempos.

The aim of this study was to investigate acute cardiac response and heart rate variability (HRV) when listening to differing forms of music. Eleven healthy men aged between 18 and 25 years old were included in the study. HRV was recorded at rest for ten minutes with no music, then were asked to listen to classical baroque or heavy metal music for a period of 20 min. It was noted that heart rate variability did not affect HRV indices for time and frequency. In conclusion, music with different tempos does not influence cardiac autonomic regulation in men. However more studies are suggested to explore this topic in greater detail.