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Depressive symptoms contribute to increased wave reflection during cold pressor test in young adult men
Marcos A Sanchez-Gonzalez1, Ross W May, Preston C Brown
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA. mas08u@my.fsu.edu
Insights
Healthy individuals with higher depressive scores (HDS) exhibit greater aortic hemodynamic responses to stress. This suggests a link between depressive symptoms and cardiac hyperactivity, potentially increasing cardiovascular risk even without diagnosed depression.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Psychophysiology
- Depression Research
Background:
- Major depressive disorder (MDD) is linked to elevated cardiovascular risk.
- Cardiovascular hyperactivity to stressors is common in MDD patients.
- Aortic hemodynamic (AH) responses to sympatho-stimulation in healthy individuals with higher depressive scores (HDS) are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate aortic hemodynamic (AH) responses to sympatho-stimulation in healthy individuals with higher depressive scores (HDS) compared to those with low depressive scores (LDS).
- To test the hypothesis that individuals with HDS would exhibit greater AH changes during the cold pressor test (CPT) than individuals with LDS.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-five healthy male participants were categorized into HDS and LDS groups based on a depressive symptoms self-report measure.
- Aortic waveforms were acquired using applanation tonometry.
- The protocol included baseline measurements followed by a 3-minute cold pressor test (CPT) and recovery.
Main Results:
- No baseline differences were observed between HDS and LDS groups.
- During CPT, the HDS group showed significantly higher aortic mean blood pressure, augmentation index (a marker of wave reflection), and systolic time interval (a marker of myocardial work) compared to the LDS group.
- These findings indicate greater cardiac hyperactivity in individuals with HDS during sympatho-stimulation.
Conclusions:
- Higher depressive scores (HDS) in healthy individuals may be associated with cardiac hyperactivity during sympatho-stimulation.
- This hyperactivity may contribute to increased central blood pressure, wave reflection, and myocardial work.
- Further prospective studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying increased AH in individuals with high depressive symptomatology.
Background:
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Although cardiovascular hyperactivity to stressors (e.g., cold pressor test (CPT)) is common in those with MDD, the aortic hemodynamic (AH) responses to sympatho-stimulation in healthy individuals with higher depressive scores (HDS) are not well understood. We hypothesized that individuals with HDS, compared with those with low depressive scores (LDS), would have greater changes in AH during the CPT.
Methods:
Thirty-five male participants (mean age, 22.3±0.7 years) completed a self-report measure of depressive symptoms and were classified as having an HDS or LDS. Radial waveforms were then obtained by means of applanation tonometry. The testing protocol consisted of a 10-minute seated rest, 5 minutes of baseline measurements, a 3-minute CPT, and a 3-minute recovery period.
Results:
At baseline, no differences were found between the LDS (n=16) and HDS (n=19) groups on any variables studied. During CPT, there was a significant group-by-time interaction for aortic mean blood pressure (HDS vs. LDS = 107±3mm Hg vs. 96±3mm Hg; P = 0.008); augmentation index (HDS vs. LDS =19% ± 3% vs. 11% ± 2%; P = 0.02), a surrogate of wave reflection; and systolic time interval (HDS vs. LDS = 2295±78mm Hg/s.min(-1) vs. 1919±74mm Hg/s.min(-1); P = 0.001), a marker of myocardial work, such that the HDS group had significantly higher responses than the LDS group.
Conclusions:
HDS may be associated with cardiac hyperactivity during sympatho-stimulation, contributing to increased central blood pressure, wave reflection, and myocardial work. Prospective studies to unveil mechanisms explaining increased AH in healthy individuals with high depressive symptomatology are warranted.
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