Watkins L L, Grossman P, Krishnan R, Sherwood A
Duke University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Psychosom Med. 1998 Jul-Aug;60(4):498-502. doi: 10.1097/00006842-199807000-00018.
Prospective studies have demonstrated that anxiety predicts sudden cardiac death, but the mechanism underlying this increased risk is unclear. This study examined whether anxiety is associated with reductions in vagal control of heart rate in healthy volunteers.
Trait anxiety (T-ANX) was measured, using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), in 93 healthy men and women 25 to 44 years of age. Power spectral analysis was used to measure two indices of vagal control: baroreflex control of heart rate (BRC) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA).
High trait anxiety (T-ANX > 41, N = 23) was associated with significantly reduced vagal control of the heart, compared with low trait anxiety (T-ANX < 31, N = 22), as indicated by a 36% reduction in BRC (p< .001) and an 8% reduction in RSA (p<.05). Furthermore, T-ANX scores were negatively correlated with levels of BRC (r = -.30, p<.005), and levels of RSA (r = -.26, p <.05).
These findings provide evidence that trait anxiety is associated with reductions in vagal control of the heart. Additional studies are needed to examine whether low vagal control is involved in the increased risk of sudden cardiac death associated with anxiety.
前瞻性研究表明，焦虑可预测心源性猝死，但其风险增加背后的机制尚不清楚。本研究调查了焦虑是否与健康志愿者心率的迷走神经控制降低有关。
使用斯皮尔伯格状态-特质焦虑量表（STAI）对93名年龄在25至44岁之间的健康男性和女性进行特质焦虑（T-ANX）测量。采用功率谱分析来测量迷走神经控制的两个指标：心率的压力反射控制（BRC）和呼吸性窦性心律不齐（RSA）。
与低特质焦虑（T-ANX < 31，N = 22）相比，高特质焦虑（T-ANX > 41，N = 23）与心脏迷走神经控制显著降低有关，表现为BRC降低36%（p <.001）和RSA降低8%（p <.05）。此外，T-ANX评分与BRC水平（r = -.30，p <.005）和RSA水平（r = -.26，p <.05）呈负相关。
这些发现提供了证据，表明特质焦虑与心脏迷走神经控制降低有关。需要进一步研究来检查低迷走神经控制是否与焦虑相关的心源性猝死风险增加有关。
