title: Changes in heart rate variability of depressed patients after electroconvulsive therapy.
abstract: Objective. As few, small studies have examined the impact of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) upon the heart rate variability of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), we sought to confirm whether ECT-associated improvement in depressive symptoms would be associated with increases in HRV linear and nonlinear parameters. Methods. After providing consent, depressed study participants (n = 21) completed the Beck Depression Index (BDI), and 15-minute Holter monitor recordings, prior to their 1st and 6th ECT treatments. Holter recordings were analyzed for certain HRV indices: root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), low-frequency component (LF)/high-frequency component (HF) and short-(SD1) versus long-term (SD2) HRV ratios. Results. There were no significant differences in the HRV indices of RMSDD, LF/HF, and SD1/SD2 between the patients who responded, and those who did not, to ECT. Conclusion. In the short term, there appear to be no significant improvement in HRV in ECT-treated patients whose depressive symptoms respond versus those who do not. Future studies will reveal whether diminished depressive symptoms with ECT are reliably associated with improved sympathetic/parasympathetic balance over the long-term, and whether acute changes in sympathetic/parasympathetic balance predict improved mental- and cardiac-related outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Erica B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Royster
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Trimble
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cotsonis
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmotzer
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manatunga
authors.forename: Natasha N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Rushing
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pagnoni
authors.forename: S Freda
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Auyeung
authors.forename: Angelo R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schoenbeck
authors.forename: Smitha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murthy
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Dominique L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Musselman