11/8/2017

Heart Rate Variablility

  • Autonomic nervous system regulates the heart
  • HRV: Variation in time between heartbeats
  • A healthy heart is not a metronome

Heart Rate Variablility

The QRS complex

Denotes peaks and valleys in heart beat

Why should neuroscientists care?

  • HRV can be used as a control in MRI analysis
  • Brain areas linked to heart control (e.g., prefrontal cortex)

Why should neuroscientists care?

Rationale for all of this

  • Existing programs suck
    • Outdated interfaces
    • Require lots of human interaction
  • Should be automated to a higher a degree
  • bit.ly/R_tutorials