Key result
Major depressive disorder was associated with elevated sympathetic activity, higher salivary cortisol levels, and cognitive deficits in executive functioning compared to healthy controls.
Why the study?
Do patients with Major Depressive Disorder exhibit differences in autonomic nervous system function, salivary cortisol levels, and cognitive function compared to healthy controls?
Case-Control
Do patients with Major Depressive Disorder exhibit differences in autonomic nervous system function, salivary cortisol levels, and cognitive function compared to healthy controls?
Patients with major depressive disorder show evidence of sympathetic nervous system overactivity, elevated cortisol, and executive cognitive deficits.
May inform biomarker research in MDD; leaves open causal direction and therapeutic targeting.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with changes in autonomic nervous system (ANS) and cognitive impairment. Heart rate variability (HRV) and Pulse pressure (PP) parameters reflect influences of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Cortisol exerts its greatest effect on the hippocampus, a brain area closely related to cognitive function. This study aims to examine the effect of HRV, PPG, salivary cortisol levels, and cognitive function in MDD patients by using noninvasive techniques. We have recruited MDD patients, diagnosed based on DSM-V-TR criteria compared with healthy control subjects. Their HRV and PP were measured by electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG). Salivary cortisol levels were collected and measured on the same day. MDD patients exhibited elevated values of mean HR, standard deviation of HR (SDHR), low frequency (LF) power, low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) ratio, mean PP, standard deviation of pulse pressure (SDPP), and salivary cortisol levels. Simultaneously, they displayed lower values of mean of R-R intervals (mean NN), standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDNN), high frequency (HF) power, and WCST scores. Results have shown that the ANS of MDD patients were dominated by the sympathetic activity and that they have cognitive deficits especially in the domain of executive functioning.
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Ngampramuan et al. (2018) conducted a case-control in Major depressive disorder. Major depressive disorder vs. Healthy control subjects was evaluated on Autonomic nervous system parameters, salivary cortisol levels, and cognitive function. Major depressive disorder was associated with elevated sympathetic activity, higher salivary cortisol levels, and cognitive deficits in executive functioning compared to healthy controls.
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