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    Face your heart: resting vagally mediated Heart Rate Variability Shapes Social Attributions from facial appearance

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    Phylogenetic theories suggest resting vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) as a biomarker for adaptive behavior in social encounters. Until now, no study has examined whether vmHRV can predict individual differences in inferring personality traits and intentions from facial appearance. To test this hypothesis, resting vmHRV was recorded in 83 healthy individuals before they rated a series of faces based on their first impression of trustworthiness, dominance, typicality, familiarity, caring, and attractiveness. We found an association between individual differences in vmHRV and social attributions from facial appearance. Specifically, higher levels of vmHRV predicted higher scores on ratings of caring and trustworthiness, suggesting that strangers’ faces are more likely to be perceived as safer. The present results suggest that higher levels of vmHRV (compared with lower levels of vmHRV) are associated with the tendency to minimize social evaluative threat and maximize affiliative social cues at a first glance of others’ faces

    Retinal blood flow autoregulation after dynamic exercise in healthy young subjects

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    Purpose: To evaluate the retinal blood flow before and after the increase in systemic blood pressure to assess the autoregulation in healthy young subjects. Methods: Twenty eyes of 20 healthy volunteers were examined. The retinal blood flow was assessed by a Heidelberg retina flowmeter (HRF), while the systemic pressure was assessed by a portable electronic sphygmomanometer. Furthermore intraocular pressure (IOP) was always measured by a Goldmann tonometer immediately after HRF assessments. All measurements of physiological and flow parameters were performed with the subjects seated at rest and then immediately after stair climbing. Results: The IOP decreased significantly after dynamic exercise, while the heart rate and the systemic artery pressure increased significantly. At the baseline, the mean retinal blood flow was 276.8 ± 80.7 arbitrary units (AU) in the superotemporal area, 243.4 ± 63.68 AU in the superonasal area, 258.2 ± 67.37 AU in the inferotemporal area and 243.9 ± 72.24 AU in the inferonasal area. After dynamic exercise the mean retinal blood flow was 249.8 ± 86.78 AU in the superotemporal area, 248.7 ± 63.87 AU in the superonasal area, 245.4 ± 83.85 AU in the inferotemporal area and 228.8 ± 62.53 AU in the inferonasal area. No significant change in retinal blood flow was found. Conclusion: Our data support the hypothesis that in normal subjects autoregulation is sufficient to compensate the increase in blood pressure and maintain a stable retinal blood flow after exercise. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG
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