Heart rate and heart rate variability in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Evidence from patients and unaffected...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cardiology

Background:

• Altered heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) are observed in various psychiatric disorders.
• Limited research exists on cardiac measures like HR and HRV in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) as potential biological markers in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• To compare cardiac measures between OCD patients, healthy controls, and unaffected first-degree relatives.
• To examine age and medication as moderators of group differences in HR and HRV.

Main Methods:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG) recorded during a five-minute resting state.
• Comparison of HR and HRV (RMSSD and other time-domain indices) among three groups: OCD patients (n=96), healthy participants (n=112), and unaffected first-degree relatives (n=47).
• Statistical analysis to assess group differences and the moderating effects of age and medication.

Main Results:

• Patients with OCD demonstrated significantly higher HR and lower HRV compared to healthy controls.
• Age did not moderate the observed group differences in HR and HRV.
• Medicated OCD patients showed lower HRV, while unmedicated patients exhibited altered HR compared to controls.
• Unaffected relatives showed trend-level HRV differences, with age-dependent distinctions observed.

Conclusions:

• Altered HR and HRV may represent key pathophysiological features of OCD.
• The findings suggest a potential role for HRV in familial risk for OCD, influenced by age.
• Further research is needed to clarify the impact of medication and familial factors on HRV in OCD.