Previously submitted to: Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal (no longer under consideration since May 30, 2025)
Date Submitted: Nov 28, 2024
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Objective Evaluation of Mindfulness Breathing via Tablet Application: Effects on Autonomic Nervous System Function in University Students Using Frequency and Chaos Analyses
ABSTRACT
Background:
University students face various stresses, including academic and career concerns and diminished interpersonal relationships due to the coronavirus pandemic. These stresses can elevate psychological burdens, negatively affecting their studies and daily lives.
Objective:
We aimed to objectively evaluate the effects of mindful breathing intervention via a tablet application on university students' mental health using frequency and chaos analyses of finger plethysmogram.
Methods:
Eighteen nursing students (aged 18–22 years) were randomly divided into a mindfulness group (Mi) and a control group (nMi). the experiment included fixed-point and daily measurements. During fixed-point measurements on the first day, the Mi group practiced mindful breathing, while the nMi group stared at a cross on a screen, both undergoing finger plethysmogram measurements. For daily measurements over nine days, the Mi group practiced mindful breathing at home before bed, and the nMi group continued staring at the cross. Measurements were taken on days 1 and 9.
Results:
The Mi group showed a significant increase in pulse wave amplitude values over time (P<.01), while the nMi group showed a decrease (P<.01). chaotic nonlinear dynamics were confirmed in both groups, with the Lyapunov exponent (λ1) high in the Mi group’s fixed-point measurement but decreasing in daily measurements. The fractal dimension was slightly higher in the Mi group than in the nMi group. However, in the chaos analysis, no significant differences were found in the changes over time or in the comparison between groups.
Conclusions:
Frequency Analysis results indicate gradual suppression of sympathetic nerve activity through mindful breathing. Based on λ1, mindful breathing initially increases autonomic nerve activity and fluctuation in pulse wave amplitude but stabilizes autonomic nerve balance with continued practice, leading to relaxation. The fractal dimension results suggest mindful breathing enhances the complexity of the autonomic nervous system. Clinical Trial: UMIN-CTR Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000056166; https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view_his.cgi
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