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European Psychiatry
Sous presse. Epreuves corrigées par l'auteur. Disponible en ligne depuis le mercredi 14 septembre 2011
Doi : 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2011.06.010
Received : 13 September 2010 ;  accepted : 22 June 2011
The deceleration capacity – a new measure of heart rate variability evaluated in patients with schizophrenia and antipsychotic treatment
 

A. Birkhofer a, ⁎ , J. Geissendoerfer a, P. Alger a, A. Mueller b, M. Rentrop a, T. Strubel a, S. Leucht a, H. Förstl a, K.-J. Bär c, G. Schmidt b
a Technische Universität München, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Ismaninger Str 22, 81675 München, Germany 
b Department of Medicine and Centre of Non-linear Dynamic, Technische Universität, München, Germany 
c Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ruhr-Universität, Alexandrinenstr. 1, 44791 Bochum, Germany 

Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 89 4140 4220; fax: +49 89 4140 4987.
Abstract
Background

Schizophrenia is associated with increased cardiac mortality. A disturbed autonomic modulation of heart rate (HR) has been described in patients with schizophrenia in whom antipsychotic medication may represent an additional cardiac risk. The novel measure deceleration capacity (DC) of heart rate predicts cardiac mortality in patients with cardiovascular illnesses. The aim of the present paper was to calculate DC in patients with schizophrenia and to compare this measure with established parameters of heart rate variability (HRV).

Methods

HRV and DC were calculated in 24-hour electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings of 20 unmedicated, 40 medicated patients with schizophrenia and 40 controls. As activity has a major influence on HRV, 4-hour periods of “sleep-” and “wake-” ECG were evaluated as additional parameters. Actigraphy was used to ensure comparable levels of activity in patients and controls.

Results

The DC as well as the other established HRV measures were not significantly different comparing unmedicated patients with schizophrenia to healthy controls. However, medicated patients showed a significant reduction of DC calculated from ECG recordings during 4hour over night periods.

Conclusion

Calculation of DC might contribute to a better monitoring and identification of an increased risk of cardiac mortality in patients with schizophrenia undergoing antipsychotic treatment.


Keywords : Schizophrenia, Antipsychotic, Deceleration capacity, Heart rate variability, Mortality risk, Psychophysiology, Cardiac mortality

Abbreviations : BDI, BPRS, CGI, DC, ESI, HRV, PRSA, RMSSD, SDNN, STAI


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Introduction  (+)
Methods  (+)
Results  (+)
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Conclusion
Disclosure of interest


© 2011  Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.
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