30 years of Neurscientific Research
by Center for Neuroscientific Research Trier NPO (ZNF gGmbH)

chestra is a brand of FINTEC GmbH, which emerged as a spin-off from the University of Trier’s Center for Neuropsychological Research (ZNF), formerly led by Prof. Dr. Werner Wittling.

Its algorithms and services build on decades of research, methodological development, and validation continued by today’s Center for Neuroscientific Research (ZNF gGmbH).

Core Patents

Two layers of proprietary signal intelligence

Our granted core HRV algorithm improves the reliability of frequency-domain HRV by detecting and correcting unsuitable heartbeat intervals before analysis. This creates a cleaner foundation for LF, HF, and LF/HF interpretation.

Our patent-filed CDM method goes one step further: it turns frequency-domain HRV into time-resolved autonomic telemetry. Instead of a static score after the fact, Chestra can generate live curves of activation and recovery — making ANS dynamics visible under real operational load.

A cleaner foundation for HRV analysis

Chestra’s core HRV technology is based on a granted European patent for improving the accuracy of heart rate variability analysis. Instead of treating every detected heartbeat as equally reliable, the method checks the underlying beat-to-beat intervals before spectral analysis and corrects unsuitable beats before they can distort the result.

This matters because HRV is highly sensitive to artifacts, ectopic beats, and signal irregularities. Even a single unsuitable beat can significantly change LF, HF, and LF/HF values. By improving the quality of the input signal before frequency-domain analysis, the algorithm creates a more stable and meaningful basis for autonomic assessment.

From static HRV scores to live autonomic dynamics

Conventional frequency-domain HRV is usually calculated from longer, relatively stable measurement windows. That makes it useful for resting analysis — but limited when the nervous system is changing quickly during stress, recovery, driving, flying, or high-performance operation.

Chestra’s patent-filed CADA technology (Continuous Autonomic Dynamics Analysis) changes the perspective: instead of producing one averaged HRV snapshot, it tracks HF and LF dynamics over time. This makes it possible to visualize autonomic activity as live curves — showing how recovery, activation, and regulatory stability evolve while performance is still unfolding.

That is the key difference. Chestra does not only analyze how the nervous system looked after the event. It can show how autonomic state develops during the event — enabling real-time insight for performance, coaching, safety, and operator management.

Publication List

Scientific Foundation

1. Autonomic Nervous System, HRV & Cardiovascular Regulation

Wittling, W., Schweiger, E., Kreuder, F., & Wittling, R. A. (2010). Complex demodulation of cardiorespiratory activity: a new method for studying physical fitness and cardiovagal recovery after physical exertion.
Wittling, W., & Schweiger, E. (2009). Heart rate variability: physiological foundations, validity, measurement, behavioral correlates and clinical applications.
Wittling, W. (2009). Heart rate variability, exercise and physical fitness: a comprehensive review.
Wittling, W., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, R. A. (2008). Introduction to autonomic nervous system functional diagnostics and its application.
Wittling, R. A., & Schweiger, E. (2008). The ANS-Explorer: a newly developed instrument for measuring autonomic regulation ability by analyzing heart rate variability.
Wittling, W., & Wittling, R. A. (2012). Heart rate variability: early warning system, stress and fitness indicator.
Jarczok, M. N., Mueller, N., Geissler, F., Wittling, R. A., De Bock, F., & Thayer, J. F. (2013). Comparison of two artifact correction methods in R-R interval analysis: man vs. machine.
Jarczok, M. N., Wittling, R. A., Thayer, J. F., Koenig, J., & Fischer, J. E. (2014). Characteristics of 24-hour heart rate variability measurement in a large healthy occupational cohort.
Rohr-Kräutle, A.-K. L. V. I., Jarczok, M. N., Wittling, R. A., Thayer, J. F., & Fischer, J. E. (2018). Reference ranges of circadian variation parameters of cardiac autonomic modulation in healthy employees.
Jarczok, M. N., Wittling, R. A., Thayer, J. F., Koenig, J., & Fischer, J. E. (2019). First evaluation of an index of low vagally mediated heart rate variability as a marker of health risks in human adults: proof of concept.

2. Stress, Burnout, Recovery & Vagal Function

Wekenborg, M. K., Hill, L. K., Grabbe, P., Thayer, J. F., Kirschbaum, C., Lindenlaub, S., Wittling, R. A., & von Dawans, B. (2022). Associations between burnout symptoms and social behaviour: exploring the role of acute stress and vagal function.
Wekenborg, M. K., Schwerdtfeger, A., Rothe, N., Penz, M., Walther, A., Kirschbaum, C., Thayer, J. F., Wittling, R. A., & Hill, L. K. (2022). Determining the direction of prediction in the association between parasympathetic dysregulation and exhaustion symptoms.
Wekenborg, M. K., Schwerdtfeger, A., Rothe, N., Penz, M., Walther, A., Kirschbaum, C., Thayer, J. F., Wittling, R. A., & Hill, L. K. (2022). Parasympathetic dysregulation and exhaustion symptoms: determining directions of prediction through cross-lagged multilevel panel modelling.
Wekenborg, M. K., Hill, L. K., Grabbe, P., Thayer, J. F., Kirschbaum, C., Lindenlaub, S., Wittling, R. A., & von Dawans, B. (2020). Burnout-associated changes in prosocial behaviour and their relation to modulations in vagal function.
Wekenborg, M. K., Hill, L. K., Thayer, J. F., Penz, M., Wittling, R. A., & Kirschbaum, C. (2019). The longitudinal association of reduced vagal tone with burnout.
Wekenborg, M. K., Hill, L. K., Thayer, J. F., Penz, M., Wittling, R. A., & Kirschbaum, C. (2018). Autonomic dysregulation in burnout: longitudinal findings from the Dresden Burnout Study.
Lueken, U., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2005). Cardiovascular, electrodermal, and cortisol responses to a cognitive activation task: correlations among physiological systems and self-reported stress reactivity.
Schweiger, E., Wittling, W., Genzel, S., & Block, A. (1998). Relationship between sympathovagal tone and personality traits.
Wittling, W. (1999). Brain laterality and the human stress response.

3. Brain Asymmetry, Autonomic Control & Emotion

Wittling, W. (2001). Brain asymmetry in the control of the stress response.
Wittling, W. (1997). The right hemisphere and the human stress response.
Wittling, W. (1997). Brain asymmetry and autonomic control of the heart.
Wittling, W. (1995). Brain asymmetry in the control of autonomic-physiologic activity.
Wittling, W., Block, A., Genzel, S., & Schweiger, E. (1998). Hemisphere asymmetry in parasympathetic control of the heart.
Wittling, W., Block, A., Schweiger, E., & Genzel, S. (1998). Hemisphere asymmetry in sympathetic control of the human myocardium.
Wittling, W., & Genzel, S. (1995). Brain asymmetries in cerebral regulation of cortisol secretion.
Wittling, W., & Schweiger, E. (1993). Neuroendocrine brain asymmetry and physical complaints.
Roschmann, R., & Wittling, W. (1992). Topographic brain mapping of emotion-related hemisphere asymmetries.
Wittling, W., & Pflüger, M. (1990). Neuroendocrine hemisphere asymmetries: salivary cortisol secretion during lateralized viewing of emotion-related and neutral films.

4. Neuroimaging, Brain Structure & Functional Lateralization

Huster, R. J., Westerhausen, R., Kreuder, F., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2007). Morphologic asymmetry of the human anterior cingulate cortex.
Westerhausen, R., Huster, R. J., Kreuder, F., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2007). Corticospinal tract asymmetries at the level of the internal capsule: is there an association with handedness?
Westerhausen, R., Kreuder, F., Dos Santos Sequeira, S., Walter, C., Woerner, W., Wittling, R. A., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2006). The association of macro- and microstructure of the corpus callosum and language lateralization.
Westerhausen, R., Kreuder, F., Woerner, W., Huster, R. J., Smit, C. M., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2006). Interhemispheric transfer time and structural properties of the corpus callosum.
Westerhausen, R., Woerner, W., Kreuder, F., Schweiger, E., Hugdahl, K., & Wittling, W. (2006). The role of the corpus callosum in dichotic listening: a combined morphological and diffusion-tensor MRI study.
Dos Santos Sequeira, S., Woerner, W., Walter, C., Kreuder, F., Lueken, U., Westerhausen, R., Wittling, R. A., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2006). Handedness, dichotic-listening ear advantage, and gender effects on planum temporale asymmetry: a structural MRI study.
Westerhausen, R., Kreuder, F., Dos Santos Sequeira, S., Woerner, W., Walter, C., Wittling, R. A., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2004). Effects of handedness and gender on macro- and microstructure of the corpus callosum and its subregions.
Westerhausen, R., Walter, C., Kreuder, F., Wittling, R. A., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2003). The influence of handedness and gender on the microstructure of the human corpus callosum.
Kreuder, F., Walter, C., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2003). Computational method for automatic analysis of functional activation in specific brain areas in fMRI studies.
Wittling, R. A. (2009). Functional brain asymmetry and cerebral language representation: an fMRI analysis of the influence of sex and handedness.

5. Clinical Neuropsychology, Neurological Disorders & Rehabilitation

Wittling, R. A. (2025). Neurovascular and trigemino-autonomic mechanisms of migraine and cluster headache: CGRP as a key mediator and therapeutic target of eptinezumab.
Lueken, U., Seidl, U., Völker, L., Schweiger, E., Kruse, A., & Schröder, J. (2007). Development of a short version of the Apathy Evaluation Scale adapted for demented nursing home residents.
Lueken, U., Seidl, U., Schwarz, M., Völker, L., Naumann, D., Mattes, K., Schröder, J., & Schweiger, E. (2006). The Apathy Evaluation Scale: first results on the psychometric properties of a German translation.
Genzel, S., Steube, D., & Wittling, W. (1999). Illness coping after ischemic stroke: extending the concept of post-stroke depression based on computed tomography data.
Schweiger, E., Walter, C., Woerner, W., & Wittling, W. (2006). Brain perfusion and cognitive performance in patients with unilateral carotid stenosis.
Schwarz, M., Hertel, F., Lueken, U., Schweiger, E., Bettag, M., & Wittling, W. (2006). Side-specific intraindividual differences of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on cognitive performance.
Thiel, S. D., Wittling, R. A., Hertel, F., Woerner, W., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2007). Dysfunctions of the corpus callosum due to unilateral cortical lesions.
Lueken, U. (2006). Changes in affect and drive after stroke: pathoanatomical, psychophysiological, and psychological correlates in rehabilitation patients.
Soyer, H. (2003). A neuropsychological contribution to diagnosis and management in Prader-Willi syndrome with regard to functional brain status.

6. Psychosomatics, Personality, Immune Function & Health Risk

Kunz, S. R., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2001). Psychobiological stress responsivity and coping in patients with atopic diseases.
Kunz, S. R., & Wittling, W. (1999). Psychobiological stress responses, personality, and coping strategies in patients with allergic diseases.
Schweiger, E., Wittling, W., Genzel, S., & Block, A. (1998). Relationship between sympathovagal tone and personality traits.
Wittling, W. (1998). Altered brain asymmetry as a risk factor for somatic disorders: a neurobiological pathogenesis model.
Wittling, W., Roschmann, R., & Schweiger, E. (1993). Topographic brain mapping of emotion-related hemisphere activity and susceptibility to psychosomatic disorders.
Wittling, W., & Schweiger, E. (1993). Alterations of neuroendocrine brain asymmetry: a neural risk factor affecting physical health.
Schweiger, E., Gruber, M., & Wittling, W. (1996). Alexithymic response patterns in patients with gastrointestinal diseases.
Gruber, M. (1995). Psychosomatics of chronic inflammatory bowel disease: autonomic balance and personality structure in patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Herbert, B. M. (1998). Sudden cardiac death: stress, autonomic activity, and autonomic hemispheric asymmetries.

7. Developmental, Behavioral & Human Interaction Research

Dinzinger, A., Greif, E., Speyer, L., Wittling, R. A., Brisch, K. H., Priewasser, B., & Markova, G. (2025). Tiny screens, big impact: effects of maternal smartphone use on maternal and infants’ physiological and behavioral stress and interaction dynamics.
Rizhova, L. Y., Wittling, R. A., Schweiger, E., Vershinina, E. A., & Starup, L. B. (2009). Brain asymmetry of tactile processing in children with autism.
Wittling, R. A., Schweiger, E., Rizhova, L. Y., Vershinina, E. A., & Starup, L. B. (2008). A simple and effective method for measuring brain asymmetry in children with autism.
Schweiger, E. (1995). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: a factor-analytic study of visual evoked potentials.
Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (1995). Topographic brain mapping in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Smit, C. M., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2005). Automatic deviance detection in the visual modality.
Smit, C. M., Westerhausen, R., Huster, R. J., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2006). Does an impulsive cognitive style affect preattentive visual processing?
Huster, R. J., Wittling, A., Westerhausen, R., Schweiger, E., & Wittling, W. (2006). Event-related potentials in a lateralized tactile Go/Nogo task: evidence of gender differences.

8. Clinical Psychology, Diagnostics & Biofeedback

Wittling, W. (Ed.) (1980). Methods of clinical-psychological diagnostics. Handbook of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 1.
Wittling, W. (Ed.) (1980). Psychotherapeutic intervention methods. Handbook of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 2.
Wittling, W. (Ed.) (1980). Behavioral disorders: concepts and determinants. Handbook of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 3.
Wittling, W. (Ed.) (1980). Etiology of disturbed behavior. Handbook of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 4.
Wittling, W. (Ed.) (1980). Therapy of disturbed behavior. Handbook of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 5.
Wittling, W. (Ed.) (1980). Clinical psychology in research and practice. Handbook of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 6.
Wittling, W. (1980). Psychophysiological diagnostics.
Wittling, W. (1980). Cerebral functional diagnostics.
Wittling, W. (1980). Biofeedback therapy.
Wittling, W. (1976). Introduction to the psychology of perception.

9. Theses, Dissertations & Academic Qualification Work

Wittling, W. (1973). Functional hemispheric specialization: theories, methods, and findings in neuropsychological research. Doctoral dissertation.
Wittling, W. (1983). Functional laterality and cognitive performance. Habilitation thesis.
Schweiger, E. (1988). Changes in bioelectrical hemispheric asymmetries under conditions of competing stimulation. Doctoral dissertation.
Schweiger, E. (1994). The brain and the control of visceral body processes: autonomic regulatory asymmetries as a new perspective in experimental and clinical neuropsychology. Habilitation thesis.
Herbert, C. (2000). Effects of endurance running training on cardiovascular functions, autonomic nervous control, well-being, stress coping, and personality traits.
Westerhausen, R. (2006). Interindividual variability of macro- and microstructure of the corpus callosum: determinants and functional relevance.
Huster, R. J. (2007). Morphologic variability of the human midcingulate cortex and its functional relevance.
Wittling, R. A. (2009). Functional brain asymmetry and cerebral language representation: an fMRI analysis of the influence of sex and handedness.
Bödecker, C. (2009). fMRI analysis of endogenous pain modulation.
Zahn, M. C. (2008). Autonomic dysregulation in stress- or burden-related depression: a study of heart rate variability.