The Change of Heart Rate Variability in Anxiety Disorder after Given Physical or Psychological Stress.
10.14401/KASMED.2014.21.2.69
- Author:
Min Kyung CHO
;
Doo Heum PARK
;
Jaehak YU
;
Seung Ho RYU
;
Ji Hyeon HA
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Anxiety disorder;
Heart rate variability;
Autonomic nervous system;
Stress response
- MeSH:
Anxiety;
Anxiety Disorders*;
Autonomic Nervous System;
Depression;
Equipment and Supplies;
Heart Rate*;
Humans;
Stress, Psychological*
- From:Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
2014;21(2):69-73
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess the change of heart rate variability (HRV) at resting, upright, and psychological stress in anxiety disorder patients. METHODS: HRV was measured at resting, upright, and psychological stress states in 60 anxiety disorder patients. We used visual analogue scale (VAS) score to assess tension and stress severity. Beck depression inventory (BDI) and state trait anxiety inventories I and II (STAI-I and II) were used to assess depression and anxiety severity. Differences between HRV indices were evaluated using paired t-tests. Gender difference analysis was accomplished with ANCOVA. RESULTS: SDNN (Standard deviation of normal RR intervals) and low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) were significantly increased, while NN50, pNN50, and normalized HF (nHF) were significantly decreased in the upright position compared to resting state (p < 0.01). SDNN, root mean square of the differences of successive normal to normal intervals, and LF/HF were significantly increased, while nHF was significantly decreased in the psychological stress state compared to resting state (p < 0.01). SDNN, NN50, pNN50 were significantly lower in upright position compared to psychological stress and nVLF, nLF, nHF, and LF/HF showed no significant differences between them. CONCLUSION: The LF/HF ratio was significantly increased after both physical and psychological stress in anxiety disorder, but did not show a significant difference between these two stresses. Significant differences of SDNN, NN50, and pNN50 without any differences of nVLF, nLF, nHF, and LF/HF between two stresses might suggest that frequency domain analysis is more specific than time domain analysis.