Heart Rate Perception and Heart Rate Control

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Abstract
Twenty‐one subjects look the Autonomic Perception Questionnaire (APQ) and later were given another test of ability to perceive heart activity. The second test involved subjects' tracking of their own heart rates (HR). They were then tested for ability to increase and decrease HR from their resting baseline levels. No significant relationships were found between HR control and APQ score. HR decrease success seemed to depend mainly on respiration differences between rest and decrease periods. The subjects who achieved high scores on the heart tracking test increased HR significantly better than did low scorers. This heart perception vs HR increase relationship did not depend upon respiration rate, respiration amplitude, or baseline HR differences between high and low scorers on the tracking test. A low correlation between APQ and tracking score seemed to indicate that the two perception tests measured different attributes of the subjects.