Learned voluntary control of heart rate and rhythm in two subjects with premature ventricular contractions.

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Abstract
People (2) with frequent premature ventricular contractions [PVC] and bigeminal rhythm not associated with other signs of heart disease, learned to suppress the arrhythmia using a biofeedback technique. Physical exercise and atropine suppressed the arrhythmia, and learned control was related to the development of tachycardia. In Case 1, it appeared to depend on something more than speeding alone, for sinus rhythm could be maintained during voluntary control at a lower heart rate [HR] than during physical maneuvers such as exercise. In Case 2, the PVC could be induced by a sudden fall of HR, e.g., after a Valsalva maneuver, and could be suppressed by voluntary increase of HR by up to 40 beats/min produced with little change in breathing or muscle activity.