Conscious breathing enhances bidirectional cortical-autonomic modulation: dynamics of EEG band power and heart rate variability

Abstract

Introduction: The mechanisms by which conscious breathing influences brain-body signaling remain largely unexplored. Understanding how controlled breathing modulates neural and autonomic activity can offer insights into self-regulation and adaptive physiological control. This study investigates how conscious breathing affects cortical-autonomic communication by analyzing bidirectional interactions between EEG band power time series (BPts), heart rate variability (HRV), and breathing signals. Methods: Data were collected from fifteen healthy subjects during three experimental conditions: a spontaneous breathing state (Rest) and two controlled breathing tasks (CBT 1 and CBT 2). EEG recordings were analyzed to compute BPts across the δ, θ, α, β, and γ frequency bands, while HRV and breathing signals were derived from ECG data. Cross-spectrum analysis and Granger causality tests were performed between HRV and BPts. To further investigate directional interactions, Granger-causal relationships were explored between components of the BPts extracted using empirical mode decomposition and the HRV and breathing signals. Results: Bidirectional Granger-causal relationships were found between neural and autonomic systems, emphasizing the dynamic interaction between the brain and body. Specific BPts components mediated neural-autonomic communication, with one component consistently aligning with the frequency of conscious breathing (~0.05 Hz) during the CBTs. Cross-spectral peaks at this frequency and its harmonics highlight the role of respiratory entrainment in optimizing neuro-autonomic synchronization. Frequency-specific mechanisms observed in both fast and slow components reflect the complex regulation of autonomic functions through cortical modulation. The most prominent causal effects were observed in the γ band, suggesting its pivotal role in dynamic autonomic regulation, potentially acting as a communication pathway between the brain and body. Discussion: Our results demonstrate that conscious breathing enhances bidirectional cortical-autonomic modulation through frequency-specific dynamic neural mechanisms. These findings support a closed-loop model of physiological regulation driven by neural-respiratory entrainment and suggest that respiration can serve as a top-down mechanism for autonomic control. By clarifying how conscious breathing shapes brain-body dynamics, this work lays the foundation for research on neural self-regulation and supports the development of non-pharmacological interventions for improving mental and physiological health.