The Relationship between Psychiatric Illness and the Circadian Pattern of Heart Rate
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between psychiatric status and the circadian pattern of heart rate. Method: Serial 24–hour recordings of minute average heart rate were obtained from 30 normal volunteers and 200 patients representing a range of DSM-III-R diagnoses. Records were compared in terms of their circadian “morphology” and grouped into different pattern types. The distribution of patterns in different diagnoses was analysed statistically. Results: It was found that states such as generalised anxiety and depression are strongly associated with a distinctive circadian pattern, whereas others such as somatoform disorder show more variation in this regard. Serial recordings show that the relationship between psychiatric status and circadian pattern is state-dependent; a change in clinical status leads to a change in the circadian pattern. Conclusions: The presented findings together suggest that there is a systematic relationship between psychiatric status and heart rate in which core physiological differences between certain states are reflected in distinctively different circadian patterns of activity. The state-dependent nature of this relationship suggests obvious practical applications, and examples are given of how these adjunct data can provide objective indices of clinical status and change. At a theoretical level, the physiological dimension revealed by these data may help to define more reliable syndromal distinctions between various clinical manifestations and hence contribute to a more robust nosology.
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Greater variation of nighttime heart rate between 2 AM and 4 AM and between 4 AM and 6 AM indicates greater severity of depressive symptoms.
“our findings suggest that a greater variation of nighttime heart rate between 2 AM and 4 AM and between 4 AM and 6 AM indicates greater severity of depressive symptoms”
From Digital Biomarkers for Depression Screening With Wearable Devices: Cross-sectional Study With Machine Learning Modeling (2021) · cites this paper as [61]
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The two fundamental shapes of sleep heart rate dynamics and their connection to mental healthPreprint
Fudolig, M. I., Bloomfield, L. S. P., Price, M., Bird, Y. M., Hidalgo, J. E., Kim, J. H., Llorin, J., Lovato, J. L., McGinnis, E. W., McGinnis, R. S., et al. (2023) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/3cqdn
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Mathersul, D. C., Dixit, K., Schulz‐Heik, R. J., Avery, T. J., Zeitzer, J. M., & Bayley, P. J. (2022) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.19607530
- Authors
- Stampfer, H. G.
- Affiliations
- Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Stampfer, Hans G.
- ORCID
- Stampfer, Hans G.
- Venue
- Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1998-04
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 187-198
- ISSN
- 0004-8674 (ISSN-L)
- 1440-1614
- OpenAlex
- W1979885502
- Cited by
- 51
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Keywords
- mental illness, circadian rhythm, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, somatoform disorders, disease classification
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Mental Disorders, Circadian Rhythm, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychophysiology, Electrocardiography, Ambulatory
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