For the first time, doctors have shown that monitoring changes in heart rate over a 24-hour period can
This could help doctors detect earlysigns of potential depression, and determine whether prescribed treatment is working. The authors of the new study claim that this method helps diagnose depression in a person with up to 90% accuracy.
In the study, scientists continuously monitoredpatients' heart rate day and night. In addition, the subjects used a new antidepressant that can relieve depression quite quickly. This allowed the researchers to see changes related specifically to psychological well-being.
Scientists have found that patients with depression havethe average heart rate was 10-15 beats per minute higher than that of healthy people. After treatment, the frequency decreased, and its dynamics approached that observed in the control group.