Comparison of Heart Rate Variability Between Patients With Major Depressive Disorder and Normal Subjects

Abstract

Major Depressive Disorder is one of the major mental health problems that affect the quality of life of the patients. The reduced heart rate variability (HRV) and elevated heart rate that associated with depression have been found as risk factors for cardiac mobility and mortality. These patients should be assessed regularly on HRV parameters and compare with those of normal subjects. This study aimed to compare heart rate variability between patients with the major depressive disorder and normal subjects. This study was conducted at a psychiatric department in Khon Kaen University, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen province, Thailand. A cross-sectional analytic study design was used. Forty patients diagnosed with the major depressive disorder (who had been treated with antidepressants) were matched according to age, gender with 40 normal subjects participated. They were assessed on HRV for time domain (standard deviation normal to normal: SDNN, and the root mean square of successive differences: RMSSD) and frequency domain (High frequency: HF, low frequency: LF, and LF/HF ratio) using SA 3000P Digital. The results showed that The HRV in the patients and in the normal subjects were found with SDNN 28. 60, 31.44; RMSSD 23.78, 26.73; HF 4.70, 5.04; LF 4.46, 5.01; and LF/HF 1.16, 1.35 respectively. However, No significant difference in the HRV variables between MDD and normal subjects except LF. Findings of this study show that HRV in the treated patients with major depressive disorder seems to be a little lower than the normal subjects. This may be due to the effects of well treated with antidepressants. It is suggested that HRV may be one of the outcome measures for this patient population.

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“…Differences were also discernible for the respiration rate and RMSSD. A higher HR and a lower HRV in the depressed population have already been reported in previous studies, indicating a potential impact of depression on cardiovascular autonomic regulation [23,24,25,26,27,28]. The 24-hour HR time series, when synchronized with the morning questionnaire, demonstrated consistently elevated values in individuals with depression over the entire day, and variations in heart rate within each group showed a dependent tendency with the reported valence level in the morning.…”