Heart rate variability measures indicating sex differences in autonomic regulation during anxiety-like behavior in rats.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Mental health conditions remain a substantial and costly challenge to society, especially in women since they have nearly twice the prevalence of anxiety disorders. However, critical mechanisms underlying sex differences remain incompletely understood. Measures of cardiac function, including heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV), reflect balance between sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) systems and are potential biomarkers for pathological states.

Methods

To better understand sex differences in anxiety-related autonomic mechanisms, we examined HR/HRV telemetry in food-restricted adult rats during novelty suppression of feeding (NSF), with conflict between food under bright light in the arena center. To assess HRV, we calculated the SDNN (reflective

SUBMITTER: Frasier RM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10644002 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature