Measures of Heart Rate Variability in Individuals with Somatic Symptom Disorder

Wei Lieh Huang, Shih Cheng Liao, Cheryl C.H. Yang, Terry B.J. Kuo, Tzu Ting Chen, I. Ming Chen, Susan Shur Fen Gau

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective Little is known about autonomic nervous system activity in individuals with somatic symptom disorder (SSD) as defined by DSM-V criteria. The aims of this study were to investigate whether individuals with SSD differ from healthy controls in heart rate variability (HRV) measures of autonomic nervous system activity and whether sex has a moderating effect on this association. Methods We recruited 168 individuals with SSD (35.1% men) and 106 healthy controls (27.4% men). Demographics, HRV, and psychological factors were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-15, Health Anxiety Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the association of SSD with HRV, adjusting for demographic and psychological measures. Results Individuals with SSD had lower levels of total-power HRV and low-frequency HRV, but no differences in high-frequency (HF)-HRV were found. HRV differences between SSD and controls varied by sex and age (triple interaction TP-HRV β = -0.222, p <.001; low-frequency HRV β = -0.332, p <.001; and HF-HRV β = -0.167, p =.006). Whole-sample multiple regression analyses revealed significant sex differences in the magnitudes of the association between BDI-II with HF-HRV (β of sex∗BDI-II: 0.761, p =.005) and analyses stratified by sex indicated that HF-HRV was significantly correlated with depression in men with SSD (r = -0.491, p <.001) but not in women with SSD (r = 0.057, p =.558). Conclusions These results suggest that patients with SSD demonstrate different patterns of HRV and the patterns of association between HRV indices and psychological factors vary between men and women.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)34-42
Number of pages9
JournalPsychosomatic Medicine
Volume79
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 1 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • autonomic nervous system
  • heart rate variability
  • sex difference
  • somatic symptom disorder

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Applied Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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