Yohimbine-Induced Reactivity of Heart Rate Variability in Unmedicated Depressed Patients With and Without Adverse Childhood Experience
Stressful life events play a role in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) and many patients with MDD were exposed to developmental stress due to adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Furthermore, dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system and higher incidence of cardiovascular disea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.734904/full |
| _version_ | 1818279853925859328 |
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| author | Christian Eric Deuter Christian Otte Katja Wingenfeld Linn Kristina Kuehl Linn Kristina Kuehl |
| author_facet | Christian Eric Deuter Christian Otte Katja Wingenfeld Linn Kristina Kuehl Linn Kristina Kuehl |
| author_sort | Christian Eric Deuter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Stressful life events play a role in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) and many patients with MDD were exposed to developmental stress due to adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Furthermore, dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system and higher incidence of cardiovascular disease are found in MDD. In MDD, and independently in individuals with ACE, abnormalities in heart rate variability (HRV) have been reported. While these are often confounded, we systematically investigated them with a study which included MDD patients with/without ACE as well as healthy individuals with/without ACE. With this study, we investigated the influence of noradrenergic stimulation on HRV reactivity in unmedicated participants in a randomized, double-blind, repeated measures design. Our sample consisted of men and women with MDD and ACE (n = 25), MDD without ACE (n = 24), healthy participants with ACE (n = 27), and without ACE (n = 48). Participants received a 10 mg single dose of the alpha-2 antagonist yohimbine that increases noradrenergic activity or placebo on 2 separate days, with ECG recordings before and after drug administration at defined intervals. We found lower basal HRV in MDD and ACE: patients with MDD had reduced RMSSD whereas participants with ACE had lower LF-HRV. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no effect of yohimbine. With this study, we were able to replicate previous findings on HRV differences in MDD and ACE. From the null effect of yohimbine, we conclude that the yohimbine-induced sympathetic activation is not a significant driver of HRV in MDD and ACE. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T23:39:56Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T23:39:56Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-8f74a112afbf41b09b6a63f136ced9052022-12-22T00:07:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402021-12-011210.3389/fpsyt.2021.734904734904Yohimbine-Induced Reactivity of Heart Rate Variability in Unmedicated Depressed Patients With and Without Adverse Childhood ExperienceChristian Eric Deuter0Christian Otte1Katja Wingenfeld2Linn Kristina Kuehl3Linn Kristina Kuehl4Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, GermanyCharité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, GermanyCharité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, GermanyCharité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, GermanyStressful life events play a role in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) and many patients with MDD were exposed to developmental stress due to adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Furthermore, dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system and higher incidence of cardiovascular disease are found in MDD. In MDD, and independently in individuals with ACE, abnormalities in heart rate variability (HRV) have been reported. While these are often confounded, we systematically investigated them with a study which included MDD patients with/without ACE as well as healthy individuals with/without ACE. With this study, we investigated the influence of noradrenergic stimulation on HRV reactivity in unmedicated participants in a randomized, double-blind, repeated measures design. Our sample consisted of men and women with MDD and ACE (n = 25), MDD without ACE (n = 24), healthy participants with ACE (n = 27), and without ACE (n = 48). Participants received a 10 mg single dose of the alpha-2 antagonist yohimbine that increases noradrenergic activity or placebo on 2 separate days, with ECG recordings before and after drug administration at defined intervals. We found lower basal HRV in MDD and ACE: patients with MDD had reduced RMSSD whereas participants with ACE had lower LF-HRV. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no effect of yohimbine. With this study, we were able to replicate previous findings on HRV differences in MDD and ACE. From the null effect of yohimbine, we conclude that the yohimbine-induced sympathetic activation is not a significant driver of HRV in MDD and ACE.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.734904/fullchildhood traumaearly life maltreatmentadverse childhood experienceheart rate variabilitymajor depressive disorderyohimbine |
| spellingShingle | Christian Eric Deuter Christian Otte Katja Wingenfeld Linn Kristina Kuehl Linn Kristina Kuehl Yohimbine-Induced Reactivity of Heart Rate Variability in Unmedicated Depressed Patients With and Without Adverse Childhood Experience Frontiers in Psychiatry childhood trauma early life maltreatment adverse childhood experience heart rate variability major depressive disorder yohimbine |
| title | Yohimbine-Induced Reactivity of Heart Rate Variability in Unmedicated Depressed Patients With and Without Adverse Childhood Experience |
| title_full | Yohimbine-Induced Reactivity of Heart Rate Variability in Unmedicated Depressed Patients With and Without Adverse Childhood Experience |
| title_fullStr | Yohimbine-Induced Reactivity of Heart Rate Variability in Unmedicated Depressed Patients With and Without Adverse Childhood Experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Yohimbine-Induced Reactivity of Heart Rate Variability in Unmedicated Depressed Patients With and Without Adverse Childhood Experience |
| title_short | Yohimbine-Induced Reactivity of Heart Rate Variability in Unmedicated Depressed Patients With and Without Adverse Childhood Experience |
| title_sort | yohimbine induced reactivity of heart rate variability in unmedicated depressed patients with and without adverse childhood experience |
| topic | childhood trauma early life maltreatment adverse childhood experience heart rate variability major depressive disorder yohimbine |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.734904/full |
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