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Heart Rate Variability in Schizophrenia and Autism
Sarah M Haigh1,2, Tabatha P Walford2, Pat Brosseau1
1Department of Psychology and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|December 13, 2021
Summary
Heart rate variability (HRV) is suppressed in schizophrenia, indicating autonomic dysfunction. While autism also shows some HRV suppression, it is less pronounced and not linked to loneliness or cognitive deficits like in schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Autonomic Nervous System Research
Background:
- Suppressed heart rate variability (HRV) is observed in psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia and autism.
- HRV serves as a biomarker for autonomic functioning, predicting physiological and cognitive health.
- Differentiating HRV profiles can aid in developing predictive health models for specific conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To directly compare HRV profiles in adults with schizophrenia, autism, and neurotypical controls.
- To investigate the relationship between HRV, social stress (loneliness), and cognitive function in these groups.
- To determine if autonomic functioning differs significantly between schizophrenia and autism.
Main Methods:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) was used to measure HRV in 12 adults with schizophrenia, 25 with autism, and 27 controls.
- Electroencephalography (EEG) data was collected concurrently.
- Participants completed the UCLA Loneliness Questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia group showed significantly reduced R-R peak variability and lower low-frequency power compared to controls.
- Autism group exhibited slightly, but not significantly, suppressed HRV compared to controls.
- Loneliness was higher in the autism group than the schizophrenia group; HRV did not correlate with loneliness in any group.
- Suppressed HRV correlated with poorer cognitive test performance in the schizophrenia group.
Conclusions:
- Autonomic functioning appears more significantly impaired in schizophrenia than in autism.
- HRV abnormalities in schizophrenia are linked to cognitive deficits, suggesting condition-specific health implications.
- HRV may serve as a valuable biomarker for distinguishing between schizophrenia and autism, and for predicting health outcomes.
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