title: Heart rate variability during sleep in detoxified alcohol-dependent males: A comparison with healthy controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol dependence can lead to autonomic neuropathy resulting in increased cardiac morbidity and mortality. This has previously been evaluated using heart-rate variability.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We compared sleep heart-rate variability of alcohol-dependent patients with that of healthy controls in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted at NIMHANS, Bangalore. A case control study design was adopted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sleep heart-rate variability of 20 male alcohol-dependent inpatients was recorded on the 5(th) day after detoxification. Sleep heart-rate variability was also recorded in 18 age- and gender-matched healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The groups were compared using t-test for continuous variables and Chi-squared test for discrete variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both time and frequency domain measures were significantly lower in the patients as compared to the controls, indicating decreased HRV in alcohol-dependent individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased HRV in alcohol dependence indicates potential autonomic neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Suhas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganesha
authors.forename: Jagadisha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thirthalli
authors.forename: Kesavan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muralidharan
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Benegal
authors.forename: Bangalore N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Gangadhar
keywords: Alcohol dependence; autonomic neuropathy; cardiac morbidity; heart-rate variability; sleep electrocardiogram