Scientists talked about the effect of heart rate on the treatment of depression

Scientists from the University Medical Center of Göttingen have revealed that changes in heart rate can predict the effectiveness of treating severe depression using magnetic brain stimulation. This was reported on October 14 in the journal Medical Xpress.

Patients whose heart rate slowed down during the first 45 seconds of therapy showed a marked improvement in symptoms after six weeks. This discovery makes it possible for doctors to assess the body's response already at the early stages of treatment.

The study was conducted using accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), an advanced form of transcranial magnetic stimulation. Within two weeks, patients received up to 36,000 magnetic pulses. Their condition was monitored using a continuous ECG, recording every change in heart rate.

The scientists explained that the slowing of the heart rate reflects the activation of the frontal-vagal pathway, a neural circuit connecting the prefrontal cortex to the heart. The effective activation of this network indicates the triggering of mood-regulating mechanisms. The study also tested the effect of individual selection of the stimulation zone according to MRI data. However, the personalized settings did not show an advantage over the standard coil placement.

Sad for a long time: doctors talked about the peculiarities of dealing with prolonged depression

Why can't you ignore disturbing thoughts and a bad mood?

Scientists have suggested that the reason may be a mismatch between the calculated and actual impact zones.: sometimes the deviation exceeded 10 millimeters, which reduced the accuracy of the stimulation. In addition, a simple measurement of heart rate during the procedure may become a new way to monitor the effectiveness of therapy. According to the researchers, doctors will be able to quickly adjust the parameters of stimulation, change the intensity or position of the coil, depending on the reaction of the patient's body.

According to experts, up to 20% of the population suffers from depression, while about a third of patients do not respond to antidepressants. Magnetic brain stimulation remains an effective alternative, but treatment outcomes vary greatly.

The work of German researchers demonstrates how heart monitoring can be the key to personalized brain therapy. This discovery not only helps to understand the mechanisms of interaction between the heart and the nervous system, but also creates the basis for more accurate, rapid and affordable treatment of patients with persistent depression.

In September, cognitive patterns specialist and business consultant Alexey Bondarev shared recommendations on how to prevent burnout at work. He advised to define the type of activity that is given easily and naturally, whether it is idea generation, creativity or analysis. The expert also identified three types of joys that help maintain balance: physical (sports, massage), impressions (new places, meetings) and solitude (time alone with oneself). Bondarev warned about a common mistake that hinders career growth — defocusing, when a person tries to cover too many areas, which leads to stress and superficial knowledge.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.