title: Autonomic nervous tone in vitiligo patients--a case-control study.
abstract: In this cross-sectional, exploratory case-control study the vegetative arousal in vitiligo patients compared to an age and gender matched healthy control group was assessed. Forty-eight participants (24 outpatients with generalised vitiligo and 24 healthy controls) completed a test procedure consisting of an initial period of rest (R1), a defined mental stress task (the d2 test of attention), a second period of rest (R2) followed by an individually, age adapted physical stress task (bicycle ergometry) and a final period of rest (R3). Based on a continuously recorded electrocardiogram, heart rate variability, in particular high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF) components were determined. Within the 3 periods of rest, vitiligo patients showed a higher vegetative arousal than controls, represented by the ratio of LF/HF which mirrors the sympatho-vagal balance (R1: p = 0.027; R2: p = 0.003; R3: p = 0.029). No differences between the 2 groups were found during the mental (p = 0.187) and the physical stress task (p = 0.773). The results suggest a higher vegetative arousal in vitiligo patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31/1, AT-8036 Graz , Austria. eva.trapp@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Eva-Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Trapp
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trapp
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sampogna
authors.forename: Peter Michael
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Rohrer
authors.forename: Josef Wilhelm
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kapfhammer
authors.forename: Michael Dennis
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Richtig
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baulmann
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001642:Bicycling; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D015444:Exercise; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology