Exploring Autonomic Control and Cardiovascular Variability through Advanced Signal Processing Techniques in Controlled Breathing Protocols

• Grant number: 24/14706-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2024
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Bioengineering
• Principal Investigator: Tatiana de Sousa da Cunha Uchiyama
• Grantee: Paloma Gonçalves
• Supervisor: Manuela Ferrario
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São José dos Campos. São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Politecnico di Milano, Italy
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/09536-2 - IMPACT OF SLOW VENTILATION ON COGNITION AND STRESS LEVEL IN CHILDREN, BP.MS

Abstract

Given the current post-pandemic scenario, there has been much discussion about the impacts caused to school education, especially for children. Added to this are the learning difficulties presented by a significant number of students and the influence of stress levels, generating negative consequences for children's learning and development. On the other hand, studies involving biofeedback and breathing techniques show a beneficial effect on vagal modulation, cognitive aspects and stress level. Furthermore, there are different HRV analysis techniques that can add great insights into therapeutic approaches that use slow ventilation. This project aims to evaluate different advanced methods for analyzing HRV over controlled breathing protocols. Two databases will be used, the first with 39 volunteers and the second with 16. They have signals from heart pulse intervals according to the protocol for each data set. The results of the HRV analysis methods in each database will be compared and the findings on the behavior of the autonomous system in relation to these protocols will be interpreted. In this way, the project will be able to bring improvements in therapeutic, educational approaches and important insights into the autonomic nervous system of children and adolescents into the literature.