Modulating heart rate oscillation affects plasma amyloid beta and tau levels in younger and older adults

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 3967
• Main Authors: Min, Jungwon, Rouanet, Jeremy, Martini, Alessandra Cadete, Nashiro, Kaoru, Yoo, Hyun Joo, Porat, Shai, Cho, Christine, Wan, Junxiang, Cole, Steve W., Head, Elizabeth, Nation, Daniel A., Thayer, Julian F., Mather, Mara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 09-03-2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/443/7; 631/477; 631/477/2811; 692/53; 692/53/2423; 692/699/375/132/1283; Aged; Alzheimer Disease - genetics; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Arousal; Autonomic Nervous System - physiology; Biofeedback; Biomarkers; Feedback; Heart rate; Heart Rate - physiology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; multidisciplinary; NCT; NCT03458910; Neurodegenerative diseases; Norepinephrine; Older people; Oscillations; Plasma; Respiration; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Tau protein; tau Proteins - metabolism; Vagus Nerve - metabolism
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30167-0

Slow paced breathing via heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback stimulates vagus-nerve pathways that counter noradrenergic stress and arousal pathways that can influence production and clearance of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related proteins. Thus, we examined whether HRV biofeedback intervention affects plasma Αβ40, Αβ42, total tau (tTau), and phosphorylated tau-181 (pTau-181) levels. We randomized healthy adults (N = 108) to use slow-paced breathing with HRV biofeedback to increase heart rate oscillations (Osc+) or to use personalized strategies with HRV biofeedback to decrease heart rate oscillations (Osc−). They practiced 20–40 min daily. Four weeks of practicing the Osc+ and Osc− conditions produced large effect size differences in change in plasma Aβ40 and Aβ42 levels. The Osc+ condition decreased plasma Αβ while the Osc− condition increased Αβ. Decreases in Αβ were associated with decreases in gene transcription indicators of β-adrenergic signaling, linking effects to the noradrenergic system. There were also opposing effects of the Osc+ and Osc− interventions on tTau for younger adults and pTau-181 for older adults. These results provide novel data supporting a causal role of autonomic activity in modulating plasma AD-related biomarkers.
Trial registration: NCT03458910 (ClinicalTrials.gov); first posted on 03/08/2018.