Decreased heart rate variability parameters in amitriptyline treated depressed patients: biological and clinical significance

SummaryOne hundred-four depressed patients treated with amitriptyline (mean dosage: 163 mg/d; mean plasma level: 239 ng/ml) and 52 normal control subjects matched for age and sex underwent a standardized cardiovascular test battery (various autonomic cardiac parameters, which are largely independent from heart rate, namely the coefficients of variation (CV) while resting and during deep respiration, a spectral analysis of heart rate, the Valsalva ratio, and a posture index were determined). The tests included the determination of time- and frequency-derived measurements of heart rate variability (HRV), which is rather independent from heart rate. As compared to the controls the patients showed a significant plasma concentration-dependent decrease of R-R variation in the electrocardiogram (p < 0.0001), while their heart rate was significantly elevated (p < 0.0001). The markedly reduced parameters of sinus arrhythmia in amitriptyline treated patients are suggested to be mainly due to the anticholinergic effect of this drug, although it can not be excluded that the affective disorder itself might be associated with low heart rate variability. The results indicate that autonomic heart rate parameters are a valuable tool for the detection of tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) intake in unconscious patients, especially in intensive care and emergency wards.

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Effect of Age and Sex on Heart Rate Variability in Healthy Subjects

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics ◽

10.1016/j.jmpt.2007.04.001 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 30 (5) ◽

pp. 374-379 ◽

Cited By ~ 122

Author(s):

John Zhang

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Effect Of Age ◽

Age And Sex

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On the fractal nature of heart rate variability in humans: effects of respiratory sinus arrhythmia

AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpheart.1995.269.2.h480 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 269 (2) ◽

pp. H480-H486 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Y. Yamamoto ◽

J. O. Fortrat ◽

R. L. Hughson

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Time Series ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Coarse Graining ◽

Resting Heart Rate ◽

Breathing Frequency ◽

Fractal Nature ◽

Sinus Arrhythmia ◽

Spectral Exponent ◽

Random Fractal

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the basic fractal nature of the variability in resting heart rate (HRV), relative to that in breathing frequency (BFV) and tidal volume (TVV), and to test the hypothesis that fractal HRV is due to the fractal BFV and/or TVV in humans. In addition, the possible fractal nature of respiratory volume curves (RVC) and HRV was observed. In the first study, eight subjects were tested while they sat quietly in a comfortable chair for 60 min. Beat-to-beat R-R intervals, i.e., HRV, and breath-by-breath BFV and TVV were measured. In the second study, six subjects were tested while they were in the supine position for 20-30 min. The RVC was monitored continuously together with HRV. Coarse-graining spectral analysis (Yamamoto, Y., and R. L. Hughson, Physica D 68: 250-264, 1993) was applied to these signals to evaluate the percentage of random fractal components in the time series (%Fractal) and the spectral exponent (beta), which characterizes irregularity of the signals. The estimates of beta were determined for each variable only over the range normally used to evaluate HRV. Values for %Fractal and beta of both BFV and TVV were significantly (P < 0.05) greater than those for HRV. In addition, there was no significant (P > 0.05) correlation between the beta values of HRV relative to either BFV (r = 0.14) or TVV (r = 0.34). RVC showed a smooth oscillation as compared with HRV; %Fractal for RVC (42.3 +/- 21.7%, mean +/- SD) was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than that for HRV (78.5 +/- 4.2%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Autonomic and endothelial dysfunction with neurocirculatory asthenia in young men of call-up age

Pediatrician (St Petersburg) ◽

10.17816/ped10227-31 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 27-31

Author(s):

Vladimir S. Ivanov ◽

Lilia I. Levina ◽

Sergey N. Ivanov ◽

Vladimir S. Vasilenko

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Endothelial Dysfunction ◽

Cardiac Activity ◽

Young Men ◽

Mean Value ◽

Regulation Type ◽

Vasodilator Reserve ◽

Vegetative Regulation

Young men of call-up age with neurocirculatory were asthenia were examined for autonomic regulation of cardiac activity and vasodilatory reserve of the arteries. The functional state of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) was studied with the aid of rythmography with analyse of heart rate variability. The following parameters were studied: vegetative regulation type, responsiveness of departments of ANS and autonomic provision of cardiac activity. The type of vegetative regulation was determined by the mean value of RR interval and indication of the heart rate variability (∆RR). Reactivity of parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions of the ANS and autonomic support of cardiac activity were investigated using breathing test. To ensure vegetative dysadaptation cardiac activity includes reaction with low vegetative coverage of both divisions of the ANS and paradoxical reaction in which there is a decrease in ∆RRmax (instead of increase) and an increase in ∆RRmin instead of decrease. These reactions indicate autonomic dysfunction. Vasodilatory reserve of the arteries was investigated using ultrasonography of the brachial artery with compressive sample and determination of endothelium-dependent vasodilation. It was found that in boys with neurocirculatory asthenia vagotonic and sympathetic types of vegetative regulation are often determined by disadaptative vegetative provision of cardiac activity, which is accompanied by endothelial dysfunction with reduced vasodilator reserve of the arteries.

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The Opposite of Stress

Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie) ◽

10.1027/1618-3169/a000483 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 150-159

Author(s):

Maria Meier ◽

Eva Unternaehrer ◽

Sabine M. Schorpp ◽

Maya Wenzel ◽

Annika Benz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Divergent Thinking ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Vagal Tone ◽

Positive Association ◽

Control Group ◽

Creative Potential ◽

Sinus Arrhythmia ◽

Healthy Female

Abstract. Cognition is affected by psychophysiological states. While the influence of stress on cognition has been investigated intensively, less studies have addressed how the opposite of stress, a state of relaxation, affects cognition. We investigated whether the extent of parasympathetic activation is positively related to divergent thinking. Sixty healthy female participants were randomly allocated to a standardized vagus nerve massage ( n = 19), a standardized soft shoulder massage ( n = 22), or a resting control group ( n = 19). Subsequently, participants completed the Alternative Uses Test (AUT), a measure of divergent thinking. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a vagally mediated heart rate variability component, was monitored throughout the experiment. The area under the curve with respect to the increase was calculated for RSA trajectories as an indicator of vagal tone during the relaxing intervention. Regressions tested the effect of vagal tone on AUT outcomes. We found an association between vagal tone and subsequent AUT outcomes. Yet, this association was no longer significant when controlling for the effect of the creative potential of an individual, which was strongly related to AUT outcomes. Being exploratory, we found a positive association between creative potential and vagal tone. These results imply that creative potential might be related to the capacity to relax.

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