Heart rate variability during motor and cognitive tasks in females with major depressive disorder.
Research indicates that major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with alterations in autonomic control, particularly cardiac control as measured by heart rate variability (HRV). In this preliminary study, we investigated the neural correlates of autonomic control by measuring both HRV and associated brain activity during the performance of mildly stressful tasks. Medically healthy female subjects with MDD (N=10) and healthy controls (N=7) underwent H(2)(15)O-positron emission tomography (PET) and electrocardiographic ECG recording while performing a handgrip motor task and an n-back task. Indices of HRV were calculated and correlated with regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). Differences in the rCBF and HRV correlations between depressed and healthy subjects were evident in both the medial and lateral orbital cortices. In addition, these areas appeared to be involved in different facets of autonomic control with regard to sympathetic or parasympathetic dominance of cardiac control. These results are consistent with the known roles of networks within the orbital cortex in both autonomic control and the pathophysiology of MDD.
Section on Neuroimaging in Mood Disorders, NIMH/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-1030, USA. nugenta@mail.nih.gov
Allison Carol
AC
Nugent
Earle Eugene
EE
Bain
Julian Francis
JF
Thayer
John James
JJ
Sollers
Wayne Curtis
WC
Drevets
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult