Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and Anxiety Disorders in a psychophysiological framework: a correlational analysis of Heart Rate Variability

Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs) and anxiety disorders are frequently co-occurring conditions. It has been suggested that they share common psychophysiological mechanisms, including autonomic imbalance. Heart Rate Variability (HRV), an index of autonomic nervous system functioning, has been found to be a promising marker to investigate these shared pathways. This thesis empirically explores the relationship between FGIDs, anxiety and HRV, focusing on how autonomic imbalance may underlie their association. The participants involved in this study (n = 26) completed a series of self-report questionnaires and underwent an electrocardiogram recording at rest for the calculation of HRV indices. Results show a significant association between reported gastrointestinal symptom severity and altered cardiac autonomic indices (p = 0.001), suggesting a direct proportional relationship between gastrointestinal symptom severity, increased heart rate and reduced parasympathetic influence. These findings support the hypothesis of a shared autonomic imbalance underlying both psychological and somatic symptoms. A correlation between anxiety levels and gastrointestinal symptoms was expected as well, but it did not emerge in the research, suggesting a more complex interplay between emotional and somatic components. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of integrated psychophysiological approaches in addressing functional and emotional symptoms, as they reflect the brain-body interconnectedness typical of conditions such as FGIDs.