Autonomic nervous system activity and anxiety and depressive symptoms in mothers up to 2 years postpartum. (2nd April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Izumi, Mie; Manabe, Emiko; Uematsu, Sayo; Watanabe, Ayako; Moritani, Toshio
• Is Part Of: Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics & gynaecology. Volume 37:Number 2(2016:Jun.)
• Page Start: 51
• Page End: 56
• Publication Date: 2016-04-02
• Subjects: Anxiety -- autonomic nervous system -- depression -- postpartum; Gynecology -- Periodicals; Medicine, Psychosomatic -- Periodicals; Obstetrics -- Periodicals; 616.08
• DOI: 10.3109/0167482X.2016.1142970
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0167-482X

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction : We investigated the association between autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity and symptoms of anxiety and depression for the first 2 years postpartum. Methods : A total of 108 participants within 2 years postpartum underwent physiological measurements of ANS activity using the heart rate variability (HRV) power spectrum and self-reported questionnaires (14-item Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score). The cutoff points for anxiety and depressive symptom scores in this questionnaire were as follows: 7 or less, non-cases; 8–10, doubtful cases; 11 or more, definite cases. This study was conducted from 2012 to 2014 at University Hospital in Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and a nearby obstetrics and gynecology department clinic in Japan. Results : Anxiety and depression non-cases accounted for 67.6% ( n = 73) of subjects, anxiety non-cases and depression doubtful and definite cases 7.4% ( n = 8), anxiety doubtful and definite cases and depression non-cases 8.3% ( n = 9), and anxiety and depression doubtful and definite cases 16.7% ( n = 18). Findings were similar for women with anxiety or depression, with total power (TP), low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) components of HRV among doubtful and definite cases significantly lower than among non-cases for both anxiety ( p = 0.006, 0.034, 0.029, respectively) and depression ( p = 0.001, 0.004, 0.007). Significant correlations were observed between TP, LF and HF and anxiety and depression scores (respective values for anxiety: r s = −0.331, p <0.001; r s = −0.286, p = 0.003; r s = −0.269, p = 0.005; and depression: r s = −0.389, r s = −0.353, r s = −0.337, all p <0.001). Discussion : The present study demonstrated that mothers with anxiety or depressive symptoms had significantly lower HRV (HF, LF and TP) than those without.