The coping heart: Vagal reactivity moderates the relation between cognitive reappraisal and advantageous decision-making
Résumé
Background: The decision we make can have major and lasting consequences in the long
term. Growing evidence shows that making decisions resulting in favorable outcomes
require efficient emotion regulation strategies. Interestingly, the autonomic nervous activity
has been shown to play a central role in decision-making according to the somatic marker
theory, but also in emotional processing according to the neurovisceral integration model.
Here, we test whether efficient vagal changes (heart rate variability) during the task
modulate the interplay between emotion regulation strategies.
Methods: Young adults (n=54), completed the Iowa Gambling Task (i.e. test that simulates
real-life decision making) while wearing an electrocardiogram monitor. Then, they answered
the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (assessing cognitive reappraisal). Vagal activity in
resting state and during the task were recording and subtracted to compute vagal reactivity.
Several potential confounders (alcohol intake, smoking, body mass index, depression,
anxiety, medication…) were controlled.
Results: Vagal reactivity modulates the association between cognitive reappraisal and
advantageous decision-making (F(3, 49) = 6.22, p < .001, R2 = .23). Cognitive reappraisal
positively predicts advantageous decision-making, but only when vagal reactivity during the
task is high (β = 1.03, p < .01) or moderate (β = 1.03, p = .02) and not when it is low (p >
.10).
Discussion: Our results support the role of heart-brain interactions in decision making. In
addition to therapeutic exercises on emotion regulation, lifestyle interventions, such as
simple breathing exercises that enhance vagus nerve activity, may further benefit patients
with difficulties in making self-beneficial choices (e.g., alcoholism).