Effects of speech therapy with poetry on heart rate variability and well-being

Background: Anthroposophical Therapeutic Speech uses poems and exercises wh ich typically induce rhythmical breathing. Speaking influences respiration and thus directly heart rate variability (HRV), in particular via respirato ry sinus arrhythmia which, together with the slower rhythms of HRV, may be regarded as an indicator of sympathovagal balance, In chronomedicine numero us frequency ratios between physiological rhythms, especially in trophotrop ic phases, have been established. Integer ratios occur frequently and seem to be associated with the optimization of physiological processes. In large r groups the average pulse respiration quotient is about 4:1. Question: Can systematic effects on HRV, and thus on autonomic balance, be established t hrough special speech therapy? Subjects and Methods: In two trained therapi sts and 7 untrained subjects the influence of different speech exercises an d texts on HRV was investigated. With untrained subjects a total of 105 one -hour sessions, divided into speech and control exercises, was performed. T he overall well-being and quality of well-being were assessed with question naires. Control evaluations were made in the same setting. Results: As a si multaneous effect, during speech exercises and texts typical intra- and int er-individually reproducible patterns in heart rate variability were observ ed. Reciting poems with a hexameter metric generates 2 oscillations with a 2:1 frequency ratio in the HRV spectrum. As immediate effects there were a significant drop in heart rate after speech sessions as well as a strengthe ning of vagus-related HRV parameters, especially after hexameter exercises. In comparison to control sessions the subjects felt significantly better, too. The different metric and poetic character of the texts was reflected c learly in the results.