Diaphragmatic breathing in biological feedback mode for correction of the psychophysiological state in medical students

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim: The current study aimed to examine the possibility of correction of the psychophysiological state of the undergraduate students by diaphragmatic breathing sessions in the biological feedback mode utilizing heart rate variability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The study enrolled 86 students 18 to 20 years old. Assessment of the functional state of the ANS was performed bycardiointervalography (CIG) and analysis of the spectral indices of HRV by the hardware-software complex "Cardiolab" (КAI Medica, Ukraine). A complex assessment of the autonomic homeostasis was performed using IARS calculated by a special algorithm. Assessment of the psychophysiological state of students was performed by questionnaires. RESULTS: Results: Among the examined population, 45% of students were in the state of satisfactory adaptation, 43% - in the state of functional tension, and 12% - in the state of unsatisfactory adaptation. Students with poor level of adaptation and depletion of regulatory mechanisms had higher heart rate, systolic and diastolic pressure, and RR compared to the students in the state of satisfactory and strained adaptation. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The findings suggest that the average intensity of psychosomatic complaints has significant differences between groups with varying degrees of tension of regulatory mechanisms.