In subjects with generalised anxiety disorder, cardiac vagal tone did not differ from controls, but the non-invasive RSA method underestimated vagal tone due to higher respiratory rates.
Case-Control
Does the non-invasive measurement of respiratory sinus arrhythmia accurately estimate cardiac vagal tone in subjects with generalised anxiety disorder compared to an invasive pharmacological method?
The non-invasive RSA method underestimates cardiac vagal tone in generalized anxiety disorder due to higher respiratory rates, despite actual vagal tone being similar to controls.
The aim of the present study was twofold: firstly, to determine cardiac vagal tone in subjects with generalised anxiety disorder directly, using an invasive pharmacological method; and secondly, to test whether the non-invasive method of measuring the amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) gives a reliable estimate of cardiac vagal tone in this form of anxiety disorder. Comparison of baseline physiological measures of anxious and control subjects revealed that cardiac vagal tone and heart rate were not different in the two groups of subjects, whereas length of the respiratory cycle and amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia were reduced in the former group. Because of the higher respiratory rates of anxious subjects, the RSA method was found to underestimate cardiac vagal tone in generalised anxiety disorder.
Kollai et al. (Tue,) conducted a case-control in Generalised anxiety disorder. Invasive pharmacological method and non-invasive RSA method vs. Control subjects was evaluated on Cardiac vagal tone and amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). In subjects with generalised anxiety disorder, cardiac vagal tone did not differ from controls, but the non-invasive RSA method underestimated vagal tone due to higher respiratory rates.