Cardiac vagal control in depression: A critical analysis
Abstract
Rapidly developing research has found abnormal cardiac vagal control (CVC) in several physical and mental health conditions. CVC findings in depression are mixed, and the degree to which CVC is compromised in depression is unclear. A meta-analysis of 13 rigorous cross-sectional studies reveals that a diagnosis of depression exerts a small-to-medium effect size on CVC, and explains only about 2% of the overall variance in CVC. More robust data may emerge from alternative approaches to the depression-CVC relationship, such as the use of CVC to predict the course of the disorder. Despite the vigor of recent work on CVC and depression, overall findings are suggestive rather than conclusive. Methodological desiderata and priorities for future research are discussed, including the need to clarify the etiological significance of CVC.
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Depression is associated with lower resting cardiac vagal control and less dynamic cardiac vagal control response to laboratory stressors.
“depression, with this disorder associated with lower resting CVC (Rottenberg, 2007), and less dynamic CVC response to laboratory stressors (Rottenberg, Clift, Bolden, & Salomon, 2007).”
From Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect of health (2010) · cites this paper as Rottenberg, 2007
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- Authors
- Rottenberg, J.
- Affiliations
- University of South Florida (US)
- Corresponding author
- Rottenberg, Jonathan
- ORCID
- Rottenberg, Jonathan
- Venue
- Biological Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-02
- Volume
- 74
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 200-211
- ISSN
- 0301-0511 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2129351300
- Cited by
- 376
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 31 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 2.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University of South Florida
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Vagus Nerve Stimulation Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
- Keywords
- cardiac vagal control, depression, heart rate variability, vagal tone, autonomic nervous system
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Physiological, Depressive Disorder, Major, Major Depressive Disorder, Health Status, Heart, Heart Rate, Homeostasis, Humans, Vagus Nerve, Biomarkers
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