Study of the correlation between heart rate variability and the psychophysiological characteristics of adolescents

Introduction. The psychophysiological characteristics of a person, including the strength, speed, and stability of response, as well as the rate and frequency of mental processes, are mostly determined genotypically in their association with external factors, which can provide corrective effects. Aim. The paper aims at identifying correlations between HRV parameters and psychophysiological characteristics in adolescents from a boarding school. Materials and methods. A comprehensive psychophysiological diagnostics involved 256 students from 14 to 16 years of age and consisted of the assessment of HRV parameters as well as neurodynamic and psychodynamic characteristics. The data obtained was processed with the Statistica v.10.0 software. Results. The data obtained shows age- and sex-dependent features of correlations between HRV parameters and psychophysiological characteristics in adolescents. In male students, a predominance of the parasympathetic nervous system contributes to cerebral performance but is accompanied by a decrease in the functional mobility of nervous processes. In female students, a predominance of the sympathetic nervous system contributes to the functional mobility of nervous processes and short-term memory. Conclusion. During puberty, the functional system of adaptation in adolescents is characterized by an increased number of correlations between autonomic parameters and neurodynamic and cognitive characteristics, indicating intra-system stress.