AI Article Synopsis
- This systematic review and meta-analysis focused on how current clinical treatments can improve low heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), since lower HRV is commonly observed in these patients.
- The review included 21 studies, highlighting that psychotherapy significantly improved HRV by increasing high-frequency and low-frequency power, whereas the effects of pharmacotherapy and physiotherapy were inconsistent and varied.
- The study had limitations due to the small sample sizes and calls for more high-quality research, especially to better understand the impact of medications and physical therapies on HRV in MDD patients.
Article Abstract
Introduction: Several studies have demonstrated that patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) commonly show reductions in heart rate variability (HRV) parameters. Thus, interventions for the improvement of low HRV may be advantageous in treating MDD. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the improvement effects of current clinical treatments on low HRV in patients with MDD.
Methods: Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, the PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CNKI databases were searched for relevant literature. Interventional studies of patients with confirmed MDD, which included baseline and post-intervention data and at least one HRV parameter as an outcome indicator, were included for meta-analysis.
Results: Twenty-one studies were included in the review. Several studies affirmed the role of psychotherapy in improving low HRV in patients with MDD showing a significant increase in high-frequency and low-frequency power after psychotherapy in the meta-analysis. However, both pharmacotherapy studies and physiotherapy studies included in the meta-analysis showed significant heterogeneity.
Limitations: The main limitation of this study was the relatively small samples for the meta-analysis, and more high-quality randomized controlled trials in this field are wanted.
Conclusions: Psychotherapy was effective for improving low HRV in patients with MDD. However, the effect of pharmacotherapy or physical therapy on low HRV in MDD remains unclear. Regarding research methods, it is necessary to formulate and standardize operational guidelines for future HRV measurements.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2022.152347 | DOI Listing |
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