title: Pseudocholinesterase activity increases and heart rate variability decreases with preoperative anxiety.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine the influence of preoperative anxiety on the activity of plasma cholinesterase and heart rate (HR) variability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 50 subjects were studied, 25 male patients one day preoperatively and 25 male volunteers without surgical intervention as a control group. Blood samples were taken to determine plasma cholinesterase activity. HR variability was recorded for a period of 256 beat-to-beat intervals and analysed by frequency domain analysis into very low frequency (VLF: 0.02-0.04 Hz), low frequency (LF: 0.04-0.15 Hz) and high frequency (HF: 0.15-0.4 Hz). LF/HF ratio and total power over the 0.02-0.4 Hz range were calculated. Anxiety levels were assessed using the hospital anxiety and depression scale, the self-rating anxiety scale and a visual analogue scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient group had significantly higher anxiety scores. Plasma cholinesterase activity was significantly higher in patients vs. controls (6646 vs. 5324 units L(-1)). Total power, LF and HF were significantly lower in the patients (1489 vs. 2581 ms2; 656 vs. 1186 ms2; 491 vs. 964 ms2, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative anxiety increases plasma cholinesterase activity and decreases HR variability.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany. thomasledowski@yahoo.de
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ledowski
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bein
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hanss
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Tonner
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roller
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scholz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase