Parameters of the spectral analysis of the heart rate variability in treating depression.
The objective of this work was to study circadian rhythms of the indicators of the spectral analysis of the heart rate variability in case of depression.


METHODS
A total of 37 patients, with a mean age of 46.7+/-10.3 years, were examined. According to the International Classification of Disease, 10th revision (ICD-10), endogenous depression was diagnosed for all of them (F 31.3-31.4, F 32.0-32.2, F 33.0-33.2). To assess the variability of the heart rhythm, the spectral analysis was used. The patients were examined at 1 AM, 7 AM, 1 PM, 7 PM prior to the beginning of treatment, following one week, and upon leaving the inpatient department. The control group consisted of 15 mentally healthy people.


RESULTS
Before the beginning of treatment, desynchronization of circadian rhythms of the indicators studied and the sleep-wake cycle, the increase in the spectrum power within low-frequency (LF) range, and the decrease in the spectrum power within high-frequency (HF) range were observed. Reduction of depression symptoms was followed by resynchronization of the rhythms under study, with a spectrum power within LF range being increased and that within HF range--decreased.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in depression symptoms and chronobiological disorders testify to their close pathogenetic link.
Republican Vilnius Psychiatric Hospital, Parko 15, Vilnius, Lithuania. s.andruskevicius@rvpl.lt
Sergejus
S
Andruskevicius
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012894:Sleep Stages; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D015283:Citalopram