Age-related changes of phasic heart rate responses to affective pictures

• This study examined age differences in phasic heart rate in response to neutral, negative and positive pictures. Heart rate changes and subjective ratings were analyzed in 22 middle-aged (40-55 years) and 30 older (56-78 years) participants. The effects of valence on the HR pattern across time were similar to that obtained by Bradley and co-workers. Conversely to previous studies, we did not report any age-related reduction in cardiac reactivity. Instead, when viewing positive pictures, the triphasic wave form appeared in the group of older adults, but for younger participants, it was replaced by a sustained deceleration. These results were interpreted in the light of the socioemotional selectivity theory.

Subject headings

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Physiology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Fysiologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology) (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Psykologi (exklusive tillämpad psykologi) (hsv//swe)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper (hsv//swe)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine (hsv//eng)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)