Vagal Withdrawal to a Sad Film Predicts Recovery From Depression
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-2005
Keywords
Depression, Vagal tone, Etiological significance, Emotion
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2005.00289.x
Abstract
Cardiac vagal tone, as indexed by abnormalities in the level and/or reactivity of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), has been related to psychiatric impairment, including risk for depression. Longitudinal studies of depression have focused on RSA levels and have found mixed support for the hypothesis that low RSA levels predict a more pernicious course of depression. The current investigation focuses on the relation between RSA reactivity and the course of depression. We measured depressed persons' RSA reactivity to sadness‐, fear‐, and amusement‐inducing emotion films and reassessed participants' diagnostic status 6 months later. Depressed persons who exhibited a higher degree of vagal withdrawal to the sad film were more likely to recover from depression. Implications for the study of RSA in depression are discussed.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Psychophysiology, v. 42, issue 3, p. 277-281
Scholar Commons Citation
Rottenberg, Jonathan; Salomon, Kristen; Gross, James J.; and Gotlib, Ian H., "Vagal Withdrawal to a Sad Film Predicts Recovery From Depression" (2005). Psychology Faculty Publications. 1800.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/psy_facpub/1800
