Key result
Active mental stress significantly prolonged the QTc interval (P=0.0004) and increased heart rate (P<0.0001) in healthy males, whereas passive mental stress elicited no significant QTc changes.
Why the study?
Does active and passive mental stress induce QT-interval prolongation and T-wave notching in healthy males?
Does active and passive mental stress induce QT-interval prolongation and T-wave notching in healthy males?
Active mental stress, but not passive mental stress, induces transient QTc prolongation and heart rate increases, suggesting abrupt sympathetic predominance affects repolarization.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Active mental stress may prolong QTc in healthy males; leaves open arrhythmic relevance in patients.
BACKGROUND: The effects of active and passive mental stress (PMS) on the QT interval were studied by using an intraindividual regression method of QT-interval correction for heart rate. METHODS: Thirty healthy males (age 21.2 +/- 1.8 years) performed a mental arithmetic for 1 minute, which was considered as active mental stress (AMS) because of the performance requirement. A 1-minute unpleasant video clip was used for PMS. Two baseline and two (an early and a late) ECGs were prepared in both mental stress periods. The individual QT-RR relationship was assessed by linear regression analysis of 7-15 (11.0 +/- 1.9) controlled QT-RR data pairs, also obtained from ECGs gained during a successive set of 9 isometric stretching exercises. RESULTS: Heart rate has increased significantly at both measurements in response to AMS (P < 0.0001), but not in response to passive stress. QTc significantly prolonged early in AMS (P = 0.0004), then normalized by the end of the period. During PMS, no significant QTc changes were observed. The evolution of bifid T waves was noted in 14 subjects: 8 presented bifid T waves during both AMS and exercise, and 6 during only exercise. CONCLUSIONS: AMS and PMS elicit different cardiovascular reactions. Our results indicate that changes in the autonomic tone, probably abrupt sympathetic predominance, may cause QTc prolongation and bifid T waves. This suggests that besides stress quality and intensity, the dynamics of stress application and perception also influence repolarization.
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Andrássy et al. (2007) studied Healthy (n=30). Active mental stress (mental arithmetic) vs. Passive mental stress / Baseline was evaluated on QTc interval prolongation (p=0.0004). Active mental stress significantly prolonged the QTc interval (P=0.0004) and increased heart rate (P<0.0001) in healthy males, whereas passive mental stress elicited no significant QTc changes.
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