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Effects of a Passive Online Software Application on Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Nervous System Balance

Rubik B

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 2017

11 citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether short-term exposure to a passive online software application of purported subtle energy technology would affect heart rate variability (HRV) and associated autonomic nervous system measures.

METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled clinical trial (RCT). The study took place in a nonprofit laboratory in Emeryville, California. Twenty healthy, nonsmoking subjects (16 females), aged 40-75 years, participated. Quantum Code Technology™ (QCT), a purported subtle energy technology, was delivered through a passive software application (Heart+ App) on a smartphone placed <1 m from subjects who were seated and reading a catalog. HRV was measured for 5 min in triplicate for each condition via finger plethysmography using a Food and Drug Administration medically approved HRV measurement device. Measurements were made at baseline and 35 min following exposure to the software applications. The following parameters were calculated and analyzed: heart rate, total power, standard deviation node-to-node, root mean square sequential difference, low frequency to high frequency ratio (LF/HF), low frequency (LF), and high frequency (HF).

RESULTS: Paired samples t-tests showed that for the Heart+ App, mean LF/HF decreased (p = 9.5 × 10-4), while mean LF decreased in a trend (p = 0.06), indicating reduced sympathetic dominance. Root mean square sequential difference increased for the Heart+ App, showing a possible trend (p = 0.09).…

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Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.

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