Key result
Exposure to psychological tests significantly increased the LF/HF ratio during deep breathing in patients with hand-arm vibration syndrome compared to baseline (p<0.01), indicating heightened sympathetic nervous system sensitivity.
Why the study?
Does exposure to psychological tests alter heart rate variability and sympathovagal balance in patients with hand-arm vibration syndrome compared to healthy controls?
Cross-Sectional (n=39)
No
Does exposure to psychological tests alter heart rate variability and sympathovagal balance in patients with hand-arm vibration syndrome compared to healthy controls?
p-value: p=<0.01
Patients with hand-arm vibration syndrome exhibit increased sympathetic nervous system sensitivity to psychological stress, as evidenced by increased LF/HF ratios during deep breathing.
To investigate heart rate variability in response to psychological tests (Japanese version of Stroop color word test and mirror drawing test) in 29 hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) patients, 16 of them with vibration-induced white finger (VWF) and 13 without VWF, and 10 healthy controls of similar age, heart rate variability during spontaneous and deep (6 cycles a minute) breathing in supine position before and after exposure to the psychological tests was examined calculating frequency domain components such as low frequency (LF) power-index of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, high frequency (HF) power-index of the parasympathetic activity and LF/HF-index of the sympathovagal balance. The group of all patients and the group without VWF indicated significant increase in LF/HF in the deep breathing measurement after exposure to the psychological tests. The result suggests that the sympathetic tone in the sympathovagal balance predominated in the HAVS patients which means that they had larger sensitivity of the sympathetic nervous system to the psychological tests.
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Laskar et al. (1999) conducted a cross-sectional in Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) (n=39). Psychological tests (Stroop color word test and mirror drawing test) vs. Healthy controls and baseline measurements was evaluated on Change in LF/HF ratio (sympathovagal balance) during deep breathing after exposure to psychological tests (p=<0.01). Exposure to psychological tests significantly increased the LF/HF ratio during deep breathing in patients with hand-arm vibration syndrome compared to baseline (p<0.01), indicating heightened sympathetic nervous system sensitivity.
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