Reference:
Yang AC, Yang CH, Hong CJ et al. Sleep state instabilities in major depressive disorder: Detection and quantification with electrocardiogram-based cardiopulmonary coupling analysis. Psychophysiology 2011; 48(2): 285-91. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010. 01060.x
Objectives:
To evaluate the utility of electrocardiogram (ECG)-based analysis to quantify physiologic sleep stability in patients with major depression.
Conclusions:
Relative to controls, non-medicated depressed patients had a reduction in High-Frequency Coupling (HFC; index of stable sleep), an increase in Low Frequency Coupling (LFC; index of unstable sleep), and an increase in very Low Frequency Coupling (vLFC; index of wakefulness/REM sleep).
Practical Significance:
ECG-based analysis can offer a simple, cost-efficient point-of-care method to quantify sleep quality/stability and to objectively evaluate the severity of insomnia in patients with major depression.