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Autonomic Function Following Concussion in Youth Athletes: An Exploration of Heart Rate Variability Using 24-hour Recording Methodology
Published on: September 21, 2018
Elevated resting heart rate as a predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder after severe traumatic brain injury
Richard A Bryant1, Jeno E Marosszeky, Jenelle Crooks
1School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, 2052, Australia. r.bryant@unsw.edu.au
Objective:
This study indexed the relationship between resting heart rates (HRs) after injury and subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients who sustained severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Methods:
Patients who sustained a severe TBI (N = 68) had their resting HR assessed 1 week and 1 month after injury, and they were assessed for PTSD 6 months after injury with the PTSD Interview, a structured clinical interview based on the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition, Revised.
Results:
PTSD was diagnosed in 23% of patients. PTSD participants had higher HRs at 1 week but not at 1 month after trauma than non-PTSD participants. This difference remained significant when the effect of posttraumatic amnesia was controlled, but it was not significant when the effect of Glasgow Coma Scale was controlled.
Conclusion:
These findings accord with the proposal that fear conditioning can occur outside the level of awareness and contribute to PTSD development.
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