Worry is associated with robust reductions in heart rate variability: a transdiagnostic study of anxiety psychopathology
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Individuals with anxiety disorders display reduced resting-state heart rate variability (HRV), although findings have been contradictory and the role of specific symptoms has been less clear. It is possible that HRV reductions may transcend diagnostic categories, consistent with dimensional-trait models of psychopathology. Here we investigated whether anxiety disorders or symptoms of anxiety, stress, worry and depression are more strongly associated with resting-state HRV. METHODS: Resting-state HRV was calculated in participants with clinical anxiety (n = 25) and healthy controls (n = 58). Symptom severity measures of worry, anxiety, stress, and depression were also collected from participants, regardless of diagnosis. RESULTS: Participants who fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for an anxiety disorder displayed diminished HRV, a difference at trend level significance (p = .1, Hedges' g = -.37, BF10 = .84). High worriers (Total n = 41; n = 22 diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and n = 19 not meeting criteria for any psychopathology) displayed a robust reduction in resting state HRV relative to low worriers (p = .001, Hedges' g = -.75, BF10 = 28.16). CONCLUSIONS: The specific symptom of worry - not the diagnosis of an anxiety disorder - was associated with the most robust reductions in HRV, indicating that HRV may provide a transdiagnostic biomarker of worry. These results enhance understanding of the relationship between the cardiac autonomic nervous system and anxiety psychopathology, providing support for dimensional-trait models consistent with the Research Domain Criteria framework.
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ANS function is purportedly modulated by the core-ICNs and one of the most robust ANS disturbances found in IDs is cardiac dysautonomia in the form of reduced HRV.
“ANS function is purportedly modulated by the core-ICNs and one of the most robust ANS disturbances found in IDs is cardiac dysautonomia in the form of reduced HRV [52, 96, 103, 280, 282–293].”
From Infraslow closed-loop brain training for anxiety and depression (ISAD): a protocol for a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled pilot trial in adult females with internalizing disorders (2022) · cites this paper as [286]
The Background states that reduced resting-state HRV reflects cardiac autonomic dysfunction and that reduced HRV is a common feature of anxiety disorders. It describes proposed central–autonomic pathways, but does not identify core intrinsic connectivity networks as modulators of ANS function or establish the claim across IDs generally (Background; page unavailable). (LLM, conf=0.85)
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Research works printed but not linked: 4
- [24]Alvares GA, Quintana DS, Hickie IB, Guastella AJ: Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction in Psychiatric Disorders and the Impact of Psychotropic Medications: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2016;41(2):89-104. PMC4764485 26447819
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- Authors
- Chalmers, J. A., Heathers, J. A. J., Abbott, M. J., Kemp, A. H., & Quintana, D. S.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Poznan University of Medical Sciences (PL)
- Oslo University Hospital (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Quintana, Daniel S.
- Venue
- BMC Psychology
- Published
- 2016-06-03
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 32-32
- ISSN
- 2050-7283 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4891851
- OpenAlex
- W2413675339
- Cited by
- 102
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 5.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- BMC Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
- Keywords
- heart rate variability, worry, anxiety disorders, transdiagnostic biomarkers, autonomic nervous system, stress, depression, Research Domain Criteria, cardiac autonomic function
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Autonomic Nervous System, Depression, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Psychopathology, Stress, Psychological, Biomarkers, Young Adult
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