title: Effects of yohimbine on heart rate variability in panic disorder patients and normal controls: a study of power spectral analysis of heart rate.
abstract: We studied the effects of yohimbine on heart rate (HR) variability in 13 normal controls and 13 patients with panic disorder. Yohimbine produced a significant increase in SD of HR in standing posture in both patients (p = 0.01) and normal controls (p = 0.025). Panic disorder patients had a significant increase in standing absolute midfrequency (MF) power (0.07-0.15 Hz) after administration of yohimbine (p = 0.002). The ratio of post- to preyohimbine standing MF power (0.07-0.15 Hz) during standing was significantly higher in patients as compared with controls (2.3 +/- 1.08 vs. 1.33 +/- 0.38; p = 0.01), which suggests an increased responsivity of panic disorder patients to the adrenergic effects of yohimbine.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015016:Yohimbine