Towards quantitative evaluation of mood disorders based on biological signals

在接受改良电休克治疗（mECT）期间，对难治性抑郁症（TRD）患者的运动活动和心率变异性（HRV）进行了研究。行为组织规律，作为精神运动活动的定量测量，甚至在治疗前也没有显示出这些患者的任何改变。这与我们之前关于重度抑郁症患者的报道不一致。此外，治疗对运动动力学没有任何影响，而临床评分迅速而显着地改善了mECT。HRV，反映交感神经系统活动水平的非高斯性指标随治疗呈增加趋势，提示交感神经活动增强。这些发现揭示了这些指标作为情绪障碍测量的局限性，并为TRD患者的心理-行为-病理以及mECT对生物功能的有效性提供了见解。

Locomotor activity, as well as heart rate variability (HRV), were obtained from patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) during the period they were subjected to modified electroconvulsive therapy (mECT). The laws of behavioral organization, as quantitative measures of psychomotor activity, did not show any alteration in these patients even before the treatment. This is inconsistent with our previous report using patients with major depressive disorder. In addition, the treatment did not have any effect on locomotor dynamics, while clinical scores were rapidly and dramatically improved with mECT. As for HRV, an index for non-Gaussianity, reflecting activity levels of sympathetic nerve system, showed an increasing tendency with the treatment, suggestive of the enhancement of sympathetic nerve activity. These findings revealed the limitations of these indices as measures of mood disorder and provided insights into psycho-behavioral-pathology in TRD patients, along with the effectiveness of mECT on biological functions.