TY - JOUR
T1 - Changes in heart rate variability of depressed patients after electroconvulsive therapy
AU - Royster, Erica B.
AU - Trimble, Lisa M.
AU - Cotsonis, George
AU - Schmotzer, Brian
AU - Manatunga, Amita
AU - Rushing, Natasha N.
AU - Pagnoni, Giuseppe
AU - Auyeung, S. Freda
AU - Brown, Angelo R.
AU - Schoenbeck, Joel
AU - Murthy, Smitha
AU - McDonald, William M.
AU - Musselman, Dominique L.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Objective. As few, small studies have examined the impact of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) upon the heart rate variability of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), we sought to confirm whether ECT-associated improvement in depressive symptoms would be associated with increases in HRV linear and nonlinear parameters. Methods. After providing consent, depressed study participants (n = 21) completed the Beck Depression Index (BDI), and 15-minute Holter monitor recordings, prior to their 1st and 6th ECT treatments. Holter recordings were analyzed for certain HRV indices: root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), low-frequency component (LF)/high-frequency component (HF) and short-(SD1) versus long-term (SD2) HRV ratios. Results. There were no significant differences in the HRV indices of RMSDD, LF/HF, and SD1/SD2 between the patients who responded, and those who did not, to ECT. Conclusion. In the short term, there appear to be no significant improvement in HRV in ECT-treated patients whose depressive symptoms respond versus those who do not. Future studies will reveal whether diminished depressive symptoms with ECT are reliably associated with improved sympathetic/parasympathetic balance over the long-term, and whether acute changes in sympathetic/parasympathetic balance predict improved mental- and cardiac-related outcomes.
AB - Objective. As few, small studies have examined the impact of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) upon the heart rate variability of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), we sought to confirm whether ECT-associated improvement in depressive symptoms would be associated with increases in HRV linear and nonlinear parameters. Methods. After providing consent, depressed study participants (n = 21) completed the Beck Depression Index (BDI), and 15-minute Holter monitor recordings, prior to their 1st and 6th ECT treatments. Holter recordings were analyzed for certain HRV indices: root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), low-frequency component (LF)/high-frequency component (HF) and short-(SD1) versus long-term (SD2) HRV ratios. Results. There were no significant differences in the HRV indices of RMSDD, LF/HF, and SD1/SD2 between the patients who responded, and those who did not, to ECT. Conclusion. In the short term, there appear to be no significant improvement in HRV in ECT-treated patients whose depressive symptoms respond versus those who do not. Future studies will reveal whether diminished depressive symptoms with ECT are reliably associated with improved sympathetic/parasympathetic balance over the long-term, and whether acute changes in sympathetic/parasympathetic balance predict improved mental- and cardiac-related outcomes.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84866235368&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84866235368&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1155/2012/794043
DO - 10.1155/2012/794043
M3 - Article
C2 - 22966422
AN - SCOPUS:84866235368
SN - 2090-0163
JO - Cardiovascular Psychiatry and Neurology
JF - Cardiovascular Psychiatry and Neurology
M1 - 794043
ER -