Effort reward imbalance is associated with vagal withdrawal in Danish public sector employees

Objectives

The current study analyzed the relationship between psychosocial work environment assessed by the Effort Reward Imbalance Model (ERI-model) and heart rate variability (HRV) measured at baseline and again, two years later, as this relationship is scarcely covered by the literature.

Methods

Measurements of HRV during seated rest were obtained from 231 public sector employees. The associations between the ERI-model, and HRV were examined using a series of mixed effects models. The dependent variables were the logarithmically transformed levels of HRV-measures. Gender and year of measurement were included as factors, whereas age, and time of measurement were included as covariates. Subject was included as a random effect.

Results

Effort and effort reward imbalance were positively associated with heart rate and the ratio between low frequency (LF) and high frequency power (HF) and negatively associated with total power (TP) and HF. Reward was positively associated with TP.

Conclusion

Adverse psychosocial work environment according to the ERI-model was associated with HRV, especially in the form of vagal withdrawal and most pronounced in women.     

Exploring the effectiveness of a specialized therapy programme for burnout using subjective report and biomarkers of stress

The increasing prevalence of stress-related disorders such as burnout urges the need for specialized treatment approaches. Programmes combining psychotherapy and regenerative interventions emerge to be the most successful. However, evaluated therapy programmes are scarce and usually involve subjective symptom quantification without consideration of physiologic parameters. The aim of the present exploratory, single-group study was the multimodal investigation of the effectiveness of a specialized holistic therapy programme by assessing symptoms and biological markers of chronic stress. Seventy-one in-patients (39 men/32 women; age 46.8 ± 9.9 years) of a specialized burnout ward with the additional diagnosis of burnout (Z73.0) in conjunction with a main diagnosis of depressive disorder (F32 or F33) according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 were included in the study. In addition to symptomatology, the stress-responsive biomarkers heart rate variability (HRV) and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were measured in patients at admittance to and discharge from the burnout ward applying a 6-week specialized treatment programme. At discharge, patients showed a significant reduction of symptom burden and a significant increase in serum BDNF, while HRV remained unchanged. The findings implicate that the therapy programme may have beneficial effects on symptomatology and neuroplasticity of patients with burnout. As therapy was often supplemented by psychopharmacological treatment, a relevant influence of antidepressant medication especially on BDNF has to be considered.     

Trends in research related to “Shinrin-yoku” (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing) in Japan

“Shinrin-yoku”, which can be defined as “taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing”, has been receiving increasing attention in Japan in recent years for its capacity to provide relaxation and reduce stress. Since 2004, the authors of this paper have been involved in an investigation designed to ascertain the physiological effects of “Shinrin-yoku” within the framework of the “Therapeutic Effects of Forests” project. We have conducted physiological experiments, both in actual forests and in the laboratory, to elucidate the physiological effects on individuals of exposure to the total environment of forests or to only certain elements of this environment, such as the odor of wood, the sound of running stream water, and the scenery of the forest. We have obtained physiological measurements of central nervous activity, autonomic nervous activity, and biomarkers reflecting stress response that can be applied in this line of approach. Using these measurements, we have summarized the separate elements of forests in terms of the five senses. We have also reviewed a selection of field studies and introduced a number of results from ongoing projects as well as those from early studies. Future perspectives are also discussed.     

婴幼儿轮状病毒RNA PAGE短泳型7、8、9片段易变现象的观察

在1块凝胶板的各条泳道上,用同1株HRV RNA进行PAGE时,会表现出几种不同的电泳型。其差别主要表现在7、8、9泳带相对泳距的改变。这种电泳型的差异只存在于短型HRV中。另外,改变电流、电极方位、电泳温度、凝胶浓度及电泳槽的型式等因素末发现有任何影响。据此,建议判定2个分离毒株电泳型(短型)的异同时,应作整块板的全部泳道的混合电泳。只有在发现多于11条泳带时,才能确定2个毒株电泳型差异。     

力竭运动后的心率变异性RR1间期频谱密度分析

目的:研究运动性疲劳时心率变异性(HRV)各值的变化。方法:测定48名健康青年大学生安静状态下和力竭运动后的心电图,通过计算机描记出RR间期(RR1)变化的频谱曲线(PSD),得出其安静状态下和运动后的总变异性(TV),低频成分(LF),高频成分(HF)以及LF与HF的比值。结果:安静状态下和力竭运动后的HRV各值明显下降,且存在显著性差异(P<0.05)。结论:力竭运动降低HRV各值,HRV的降低与运动性疲劳的出现有关且于运动性疲劳的程度有密切关系。     

血塞通过心率变异性及心室晚电位的干预

目的：探讨血塞通过心率变异性、心室晚电位的影响。方法：45例高血压病和／或冠心病患者注射血塞通注射液2周，600mg/d。治疗前后作高分辨率心电图检查。结果：治疗前心率变异性低下和心室晚电位阳性率分别是55．6％和37．8％。治疗2周后上述指标转阴率分别是52．2％和47．1％。结论：血塞通能调整心脏的植物神经支配失衡和心电不均一性，起到心电稳定作用。     

依帕司他对糖尿病患者心率变异性影响的评价

目的:评价依帕司他对糖尿病患者心率变异性的影响。方法:收集患者93例,分为治疗组和对照组,治疗组患者接受依帕司他50mg,每日3次治疗,服用4周,运用24小时动态心电图检测所有患者在治疗前后心率变异性指标的变化,明确依帕司他治疗糖尿病心脏自主神经病变的疗效。结果:治疗组心率变异性各项指标治疗4周后较治疗前有显著提高,自主神经症状明显好转,与对照组比较有显著意义。结论:依帕司他治疗糖尿病心脏自主神经病变的疗效显著,可以改善患者心率变异性。     

平行秋千摆动刺激中的心率变异分析

目的 观察飞行员在平行秋千摆动前、中、后反映心脏植物神经调节功能的心率变异性（ＨＲＶ）特点,搪塞以此评价线性加速度作用下前庭＝植物神经反应性的可能性。方法记录３７名飞行员在秋千摆动前、中、后的连续心电图,进行频率谱分析并计算低频成分（ＬＦ）和高频成分（ＨＦ）之幽会对被试者中ＬＦ／ＨＦ值在不同摆动阶段变化类型及分布耐受摆动时间的关系进行初步分析。结果 摆动中的ＬＦ明显降低,ＨＦ明显增高,ＬＦ／ＨＪＦ     

Scintigraphic Assessment of Regionalized Defects in Myocardial Sympathetic Innervation and Blood Flow Regulation in Diabetic Patients With Autonomic Neuropathy

Objectives. This study sought to evaluate whether regional sympathetic myocardial denervation in diabetes is associated with abnormal myocardial blood flow under rest and adenosine-stimulated conditions.

Background. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) has been invoked as a cause of unexplained sudden cardiac death, potentially by altering electrical stability or impairing myocardial blood flow, or both. The effects of denervation on cardiac blood flow in diabetes are unknown.

Methods. We studied 14 diabetic subjects (7 without DAN, 7 with advanced DAN) and 13 nondiabetic control subjects without known coronary artery disease. Positron emission tomography using carbon-11 hydroxyephedrine was used to characterize left ventricular cardiac sympathetic innervation and nitrogen-13 ammonia to measure myocardial blood flow at rest and after intravenous administration of adenosine (140 μg/kg body weight per min).

Results. Persistent sympathetic left ventricular proximal wall innervation was observed, even in advanced neuropathy. Rest myocardial blood flow was higher in the neuropathic subjects (109 ± 29 ml/100 g per min) than in either the nondiabetic (69 ± 8 ml/100 g per min, p < 0.01) or the nonneuropathic diabetic subjects (79 ± 23 ml/100 g per min, p < 0.05). During adenosine infusion, global left ventricular myocardial blood flow was significantly less in the neuropathic subjects (204 ± 73 ml/100 g per min) than in the nonneuropathic diabetic group (324 ± 135 ml/100 g per min, p < 0.05). Coronary flow reserve was also decreased in the neuropathic subjects, who achieved only 46% (p < 0.01) and 44% (p < 0.01) of the values measured in nondiabetic and nonneuropathic diabetic subjects, respectively. Assessment of the myocardial innervation/blood flow relation during adenosine infusion showed that myocardial blood flow in neuropathic subjects was virtually identical to that in nonneuropathic diabetic subjects in the distal denervated myocardium but was 43% (p < 0.05) lower than that in the nonneuropathic diabetic subjects in the proximal innervated segments.

Conclusions. DAN is associated with altered myocardial blood flow, with regions of persistent sympathetic innervation exhibiting the greatest deficits of vasodilator reserve. Future studies are required to evaluate the etiology of these abnormalities and to evaluate the contribution of the persistent islands of innervation to sudden cardiac death complicating diabetes.