Alterations in heart rate variability and pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha in individuals with panic disorder


Author: Benedict Herhaus1, Gesa Thesing2, Rupert Conrad3, Katja Petrowski2

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany. Electronic address: bherhaus@uni-mainz.de.

<sup>2</sup> Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.

<sup>3</sup> Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
Conference/Journal: Psychiatry Res
Date published: 2023 Feb 12
Other:
 Volume ID: 322   ,  Pages: 115107   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115107.   ,  Word Count: 208  
    Based on the autonomic flexibility-neurovisceral integration model, panic disorder (PD) has been associated with a generalized proinflammatory state and lower cardiac vagal tone. The heart rate variability (HRV) provides an index of cardiac autonomic function and reflects the parasympathetic innervation to the heart regulated by the vagus nerve. The aim of this study was to explore the heart rate variability, pro-inflammatory cytokines and their associations in individuals with PD. Short-term HRV with time and frequency domain indices as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were assessed in seventy individuals with PD (mean age: 35.64 ± 14.21 years) and thirty-three healthy controls (mean age: 38.33 ± 14.14 years). Individuals with PD showed significantly lower HRV in the time and frequency domain parameters during a short-term resting condition. A lower TNF-alpha concentration could be observed in individuals with PD in comparison to healthy controls, but no differences in IL-6. Furthermore, the HRV parameter absolute power in the low-frequency band 0.04-0.15 Hz (LF) predicted TNF-alpha concentrations. In conclusion, a lower cardiac vagal tone, decreased adaptive autonomic nervous system (ANS), and higher pro-inflammatory cytokine state could be observed in individuals with PD compared to healthy controls.



Keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Heart rate variability; Immune system; Inflammation; Panic disorder.



PMID: 36796202 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115107