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Gender differences in cardiac autonomic modulation during medical internship
Author(s) -
Lin YuHsuan,
Chen ChingYen,
Lin ShengHsuan,
Liu ChunHao,
Weng WeiHung,
Kuo Terry B. J.,
Yang Cheryl C. H.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/psyp.12038
Subject(s) - internship , heart rate variability , psychology , depression (economics) , heart rate , medicine , cardiology , audiology , blood pressure , economics , medical education , macroeconomics
Medical internship is known to be a time of high stress and long working hours, which increases the risk of depression and cardiovascular disease. Gender differences in medical interns' cardiovascular risk have not been reported previously. Thirty‐eight medical interns (29 males) were repeatedly tested for depressive symptoms using the H ospital A nxiety and D epression S cale and 5‐min spectral analysis of heart rate variability ( HRV ) at 3‐month intervals during their internship. Among the male interns, the variance of the heart rate decreased at 6, 9, 12 months, and a reduced high frequency, which suggests reduced cardiac parasympathetic modulation, was found at 9 and 12 months into their internship. Increased depressive symptoms were also identified at 12 months in the male group. No significant differences in depression or any of the HRV indices were identified among the female interns during their internship.