The heart thinks along with the mind
While popular wisdom associates the heart with emotions and the brain with reason, the scientific world seems to be increasingly convinced that all mental processes are determined solely by the brain. Interestingly, however, there is growing evidence that the heart, which also contains nerve cells, has a strong influence on thinking and feeling. In an opinion paper recently published in the journal Trends in Neurosciences, Arno Villringer, Vadim Nikulin and Michael Gaebler from the MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI CBS) propose a new concept that explains both the important role of the heart in many mental processes and the frequent co-occurrence of cardiovascular and mental illnesses.
- Scientific Evidence: Recent studies show that the heart contains nerve cells and plays a crucial role in mental health, particularly in the coexistence of cardiovascular and mental illnesses.
- Integrated Brain-Body States: Researchers propose that every physical change, like a heartbeat, is linked to a mental process, forming integrated brain-body states that affect emotions and stress levels.
- Coincidence of Illnesses: There is a high correlation between cardiovascular diseases and mental health issues, suggesting that both should be considered in prevention and treatment strategies.
The influence of the heart and circulatory system occurs within milliseconds , and every single heartbeat plays a role. The role of the heart in the psyche and cognition is evident in the high coincidence of cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure and heart attack, and mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety disorders. Arno Villringer, Director of the Department of Neurology at MPI CBS, describes his team's new concept: "There are a number of explanations for this high coincidence, but none of them have been definitively proven yet. For example, negative psychological reactions to a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease are cited as a reason for the development of mental illness. On the other hand, an unhealthy lifestyle in the presence of mental illness is considered a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. Our concept is based on integrated brain-body states. Every physical process, such as a heartbeat or any change in blood pressure or metabolism, is automatically accompanied by a mental or psychological process. This means that the two are inextricably linked. Brain-body states occur on different time scales, which are described as a dynamical system: short-lived brain-body states (known as ‘microstates’) correspond, for example, to emotions such as anger or joy. An example of longer-lasting brain-body states (known as “mesostates”) is acute or chronic stress. Mental and cardiovascular illnesses are reflected in long-term brain-body ‘macrostates’. Mental illnesses always have a cardiovascular component, which may not yet have clinical symptoms, and vice versa. The high coincidence of mental and cardiovascular illnesses could therefore be compared to the tip of the iceberg.”
According to the researchers, these considerations mean that both aspects must always be taken into account in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and mental illnesses, even if only one of the aspects is initially in the foreground. It must be emphasised that, in addition to the heart and cardiovascular system, other organs and systems, and in particular the immune system, also interact continuously with the brain and the psyche and should therefore be integrated into expanded brain-body-state concepts in a similar way.
The scientists – together with their colleagues Marta Gerosa, Agata Patyczek, and Elias Reinwarth – have also recently published an article for 8- to 15-year-olds in Frontiers for Young Minds, which explains the coupling between the heart and the brain in simple language: https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2025.1536787/full
