TAP reading note: Heart Rate Variability and Cardiac Vagal Tone in Psychophysiological Research - Recommendations for Experiment Planning, Data Analysis, and Data Reporting
The authors explain how HRV research depends on experimental design, recording conditions, artifact handling and the specific metric chosen. Resting values, reactivity and recovery are distinct parts of a measurement protocol.
Updated 2026-10-27 · Archived
The scientific content and references belong to this edition. The complete captured record is available to download below; later corrections appear in subsequent editions. Website design and interactive software are not archived here.
What the study found
The authors explain how HRV research depends on experimental design, recording conditions, artifact handling and the specific metric chosen. Resting values, reactivity and recovery are distinct parts of a measurement protocol.
Scope & limitations
Methodological recommendations for psychophysiological research, with a focus on cardiac vagal tone.
These recommendations concern HRV research design, recording and interpretation. Clinical thresholds, device performance and composite algorithms require their own validation evidence.
Population & sample
Methodological recommendations for psychophysiological research, with a focus on cardiac vagal tone.
Exposure or intervention
HRV acquisition and analysis, including posture, respiration, recording duration and movement.
Outcomes
Interpretability and comparability of HRV measures used to study cardiac vagal regulation.
Time frame
Resting, challenge and recovery recordings; appropriate durations depend on the metric and question.
Research funding
German Sport University Cologne, grant HIFF 920147.
Research conflicts of interest
The authors declared no commercial or financial relationships that could constitute a conflict.
Reading scope
Based on the publication’s text, including Measurement Standards, Respiration, Artifact Correction, Conclusion / Table 2 and disclosures.
References
Publication record
TAP-RDN-0019 · v0.2 · English
The Allostasis Project is founded and supported by Resilio.
Record for v0.2 · Updated
Editorial responsibility: TAP Editorial Team
Editorial note
Under the editorial responsibility of the TAP Editorial Team, this publication used AI assistance for content organization and editing.
Download detailed editorial record (JSON) ↓
How responsibilities and review are recorded ↗© The Allostasis Project. All rights reserved. Reproduction or adaptation requires separate permission, subject to applicable legal exceptions.