Interaction Between Cortical Auditory Processing and Vagal Regulation of Heart Rate in Language Tasks: A Randomized, Prospective, Observational, Analytical and Cross-Sectional Study.

Cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEP) throughout a language task is beneficial during psychophysiological evaluation to advance identification of language disorders. So as to better comprehend human communication and to provide additional elements for neuropsychological examinations we aimed to (1) examine the influence of language tasks on cortical auditory processing and vagal control of heart rate and (2) to verify a possible association between the parasympathetic cardiac regulation and cortical auditory processing in language tasks. This study was completed with 49 women. The subjects were separated into two groups: (1) phonological language tasks (N = 21) and (2) semantic (N = 21) language tasks. Heart rate variability (HRV) and CAEP were evaluated before and after the tests. HRV reduced (small effect size) and P3 wave latency increased after the phonological task. Identical variables were significantly correlated after the phonological task and linear regression indicated significant interaction between pNN50 (percentage of adjacent RR intervals with a difference of duration greater than 50 milliseconds) and P3 latency (16.9%). In conclusion, phonological language tasks slightly reduced parasympathetic control of HR and increased cognitive effort. The association between HRV and CAEP are anticipated to be involved in this mechanism.

Association between heart rhythm and cortical sound processing.

Sound signal processing signifies an important factor for human conscious communication and it may be assessed through cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEP). Heart rate variability (HRV) provides information about heart rate autonomic regulation. We investigated the association between resting HRV and CAEP. We evaluated resting HRV in the time and frequency domain and the CAEP components. The subjects remained at rest for 10 minutes for HRV recording, then they performed the CAEP examinations through frequency and duration protocols in both ears. Linear regression indicated that the amplitude of the N2 wave of the CAEP in the left ear (not right ear) was significantly influenced by standard deviation of normal-to-normal RR-intervals (17.7%) and percentage of adjacent RR-intervals with a difference of duration greater than 50 milliseconds (25.3%) time domain HRV indices in the frequency protocol. In the duration protocol and in the left ear the latency of the P2 wave was significantly influenced by low (LF) (20.8%) and high frequency (HF) bands in normalized units (21%) and LF/HF ratio (22.4%) indices of HRV spectral analysis. The latency of the N2 wave was significantly influenced by LF (25.8%), HF (25.9%) and LF/HF (28.8%). In conclusion, we promote the supposition that resting heart rhythm is associated with thalamo-cortical, cortical-cortical and auditory cortex pathways involved with auditory processing in the right hemisphere.

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.

Potenciais evocados auditivos de longa latência: um estudo comparativo entre hemisférios cerebrais / Long auditory evoked potential: comparative study between cerebral hemispheres

A partir dos primeiros registros de atividades elétricas cerebrais (EEG) em resposta à apresentação de estímulos auditivos em seres humanos, durante a década de 30, pôde-se observar os potenciais evocados auditivos de longa latência - PEALLs (Mendel, 1989). Desde então, muitas pesquisas têm sido realizadas enfatizando o estudo do sistema auditivo em sua totalidade (periférico e central). Considerando a diferenciação funcional entre os hemisférios cerebrais, o presente estudo procurou identificar evidências eletrofisiológicas que constatem diferenciações inter-hemisféricas. Forma de estudo: Prospectivo clínico randomizado. Objetivo: O objetivo principal foi verificar a ocorrência de possíveis diferenciações entre os PEALLs dos hemisférios direito (Cz/A2) e esquerdo (Cz/A1) em um grupo de normoouvintes entre 8 e 18 anos de idade, por meio da análise comparativa dos registros dos PEAUs, quanto à latência e amplitude. Resultados: Não foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre as medidas, exceto para o componente P2, na população masculina. Porém, não se pode negar a diferenciação funcional entre os hemisférios e deve-se considerar essa variável durante a realização da pesquisa dos PEALLs. Conclusão: Contudo, futuros trabalhos ainda serão necessários, com amostras maiores ou até mesmo com diferentes posicionamentos de eletrodos, a fim de verificarmos a existência ou não de evidências eletrofisiológicas que constatam essas diferenciações, garantindo a aplicação mais segura e efetiva deste método

Potenciais evocados auditivos de longa latência no processo maturacional / Long latency auditory evoked potentials on maturational process

O processamento da informação (codificação, seleção, memória e tomada de decisão) vem sendo investigado por meio dos potenciais evocados auditivos de longa latência (PEALL), os quais refletem a atividade cortical envolvida nas habilidades de discriminação, integração e atenção do cérebro. O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever os componentes dos potenciais evocados auditivos de longa latência (N1, P2, N2, P3) numa população saudável de 36 crianças e pré-adolescentes (8 a 18 anos), otologicamente normais e sem histórico de alterações neurológicas e/ou de aprendizagem, comparando-os aos valores encontrados previamente em adultos saudáveis. Os valores de latência e amplitude dos potenciais pesquisados foram semelhantes aos encontrados na literatura, sendo que seus componentes (N1, P2, N2 e P3) não foram influenciados pelos fatores sexo e orelha. As latências se apresentaram de duas formas: decresceram na faixa entre 8 a 18 anos e aumentaram a partir desta idade. Pode-se concluir que o processo maturacional influi na latência das ondas.