Complementary Therapies in Medicine (Dec 2021)

Association of autonomic function and brain activity with personality traits by paced breathing and su-soku practice: A three-way crossover study

  • Young-Jae Park

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102778
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 63
p. 102778

Abstract

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Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of paced breathing (PB) versus su-soku practice (spontaneous breathing with counting numbers) on autonomic function and brain activity and examine the associations between personality traits, brain activity, and autonomic function. Design: A three-way crossover study design. Setting: Thirty healthy Korean participants (15 men: 28.5 ± 4.7 years; 15 women: 27.7 ± 4.8 years) were asked to answer the Korean version of the 125-Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Three-way crossover design included normal PB (0.25 Hz), slow PB (0.1 Hz), and su-soku practice. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups (group A: su-soku/normal PB/slow PB; group B: normal PB/slow PB/su-soku; group C: slow PB/su-soku/normal PB). Main outcome measures: The Korean version of the 125-TCI scores, electroencephalography (EEG), heart rate variability (HRV), and respiratory curve data. Results: EEG parameters between normal PB, slow PB, and su-soku showed no significant differences. High frequency and approximate entropy during normal PB and su-soku were higher than those during slow PB. Alpha band power related to well-focused alertness had strong negative correlations with the standard deviation of R-R intervals and square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent R-R intervals during su-soku practice, while theta band power related to drowsiness had strong positive correlations with very low-frequency power during normal PB. Reflective and analytical individuals tended to be highly focused and alert during su-soku and normal PB, while anxious and unwilling individuals tended to focus on counting in and be drowsier during normal PB. Conclusions: This study’s findings suggest that the association between brain activity and autonomic function is affected by meditation type and personality traits.

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