Primavera otoño 2020 (Año LXIII Núms. 122-123)

horizontes@pucpr.edu Año LXIV Núm. 124-125 horizontes PRIMAVERA / OTOÑO 2021 PUCPR 41 AUTONOMIC ACTIVATION OF COGNITIVE CONTROL THROUGH A DEEP BREATHING TECHNIQUE Diane M. Pérez López Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Neuroscience Master’s Degree Program Abstract This article describes how cognitive control, the autonomic nervous system, and a deep breathing technique interrelate with emotions. Cognitive control is a fundamental executive function process, including attention control, updating (working memory), shifting, and response inhibition. The limbic system was involved in emotions, whereas the autonomic nervous system was involved in specific emotions. However, researchers used deep breathing techniques for different emotions. We discuss how cognitive control is heritable and how it involves emotional regulation. In addition, we also discuss how to stimulate emotions to interrelate with the autonomic nervous system, which manages the respiratory and cardiac systems. Deep breathing helps control emotions and pain, modulates brain function, and serves for anxiety and bipolar disorder treatment. We conclude with future research to evaluate if deep-breathing techniques can aid other disorder types, including fear, phobias, angst related to traumatic events, anxiety, stress, and depression. Introduction The following review will refer to cognitive control, autonomic activation, and deep breathing technique. Chen et al. (2020) described cognitive control as coordinating coordinate thoughts and actions to accomplish goal-directed behaviors. Cognitive control is a fundamental executive function process, including attention control, updating (working memory), shifting, and response inhibition. Thus, it is critical in higher-level human cognition, such as intelligence. However, Mackiewicz et al. (2017) established that cognitive control involved biasing towards task- relevant information and was implemented by a frontal-parietal network, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and posterior parietal regions. Cognitive control was involved in emotions, including emotional regulation as cognitive control. We will discuss other research related to cognitive control and emotional disturbances due to traumatic events, development and heritability, and amygdala connectivity from adolescence to adulthood. The limbic system was involved in emotions, whereas the autonomic nervous system was involved in specific emotions. Mizuno-Matsumoto et al. (2020) indicated that stimulating the autonomic nervous system caused cardiovascular, muscular, gastrointestinal, and respiratory symptoms, including diarrhea, dizziness, hypertension, palpitations, or tremor. However, Jang et al. (2020) proposed that emotional stimuli elicited spontaneous reactions from the autonomic nervous system, which affected various physiological signals such as heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, skin conductance, and body temperature. The autonomic nervous system managed body