Assessing the Feasibility of Heart Rate Variability as an Objective Indicator of Anxiety in Older Adults with Dementia Living in Care Homes
Objective Anxiety is reportedly prevalent in older adults with dementia living in care homes and, within this population, is most often assessed through caregiver reports. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a physiological indicator of autonomic function, whereby reduced vagally-mediated HRV is associated with a variety of anxiety symptoms and disorders. This study examines the feasibility of HRV as an indicator of anxiety in older adults with dementia living in a care home. These data were collected during a larger study examining an exercise intervention.
Results: HRV data, in the form of log-transformed root mean square of the successive differences (lnRMSSD), were in line with transformed data from previous research. Additionally, there was a negative relationship between HRV and self-reported anxiety. These data provide a promising direction for the use of wrist-worn devices in future HRV research with people living with dementia in care homes.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Due to technical limitations, table 1 & 3 is only available as a download in the Supplemental Files section.
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
Posted 25 Sep, 2020
On 05 Feb, 2021
On 29 Nov, 2020
Received 24 Nov, 2020
On 22 Nov, 2020
On 05 Oct, 2020
Invitations sent on 05 Oct, 2020
On 23 Sep, 2020
On 23 Sep, 2020
Posted 07 Sep, 2020
Assessing the Feasibility of Heart Rate Variability as an Objective Indicator of Anxiety in Older Adults with Dementia Living in Care Homes
Posted 25 Sep, 2020
On 05 Feb, 2021
On 29 Nov, 2020
Received 24 Nov, 2020
On 22 Nov, 2020
On 05 Oct, 2020
Invitations sent on 05 Oct, 2020
On 23 Sep, 2020
On 23 Sep, 2020
Posted 07 Sep, 2020
Objective Anxiety is reportedly prevalent in older adults with dementia living in care homes and, within this population, is most often assessed through caregiver reports. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a physiological indicator of autonomic function, whereby reduced vagally-mediated HRV is associated with a variety of anxiety symptoms and disorders. This study examines the feasibility of HRV as an indicator of anxiety in older adults with dementia living in a care home. These data were collected during a larger study examining an exercise intervention.
Results: HRV data, in the form of log-transformed root mean square of the successive differences (lnRMSSD), were in line with transformed data from previous research. Additionally, there was a negative relationship between HRV and self-reported anxiety. These data provide a promising direction for the use of wrist-worn devices in future HRV research with people living with dementia in care homes.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Due to technical limitations, table 1 & 3 is only available as a download in the Supplemental Files section.