---
title: Heart Rate Variability in Depression
nct_id: NCT02525978
overall_status: COMPLETED
phase: NA
sponsor: Emory University
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
primary_condition: Major Depressive Disorder
countries: United States
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT02525978.md"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02525978"
ct_last_update_post_date: 2019-09-20
last_seen_at: "2026-05-12T07:33:53.285Z"
source: ClinicalTrials.gov (mirrored, no enrichment)
---
# Heart Rate Variability in Depression

**Official Title:** Relationship Between Heart Rate Variability and Emotional Experience in Healthy and Depressed Adults

**NCT ID:** [NCT02525978](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02525978)

## Key Facts

- **Status:** COMPLETED
- **Phase:** NA
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Target Enrollment:** 8
- **Lead Sponsor:** Emory University
- **Conditions:** Major Depressive Disorder
- **Start Date:** 2015-07
- **Completion Date:** 2017-04-12
- **CT.gov Last Update:** 2019-09-20

## Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to understand if there is a relationship between the way that emotions are regulated by the brain and the way that heart rate is regulated by the brain. The study also seeks to understand whether having depression changes the way that emotions and heart rate are regulated.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 18 Years
- **Maximum age:** 65 Years
- **Sex:** ALL
- **Healthy Volunteers:** Yes

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Ages 18-65 years
* Able to understand and provide informed consent
* Male and female

Depressed Subjects:

* Current diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) and currently in an major depressive episode (MDE)
* Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomology (QIDS-SR16) score of 11 or greater
* Anticipated treatment with ketamine infusion for depression

Exclusion Criteria:

* Current daily use of tricyclic antidepressants
* Current diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia or heart failure
* Pregnancy
* Current use of cardiac medications of the class beta-blockers
* Current treatment with deep brain stimulation for any reason

Healthy Controls:

* Current psychiatric treatment, including use of antidepressants or daily use of anxiolytic medication

Depressed Subjects:

* Previous history of ketamine infusion for depression
* Psychotic symptoms
* Active co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis including anxiety disorder or personality disorder that significantly affects the current clinical condition, as determined by medical records
```

## Arms

- **Healthy Controls** (EXPERIMENTAL) — Healthy controls will complete the video task and imaginal task in one session
- **Depressed + Ketamine** (EXPERIMENTAL) — Subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD) who are scheduled to receive ketamine infusions will complete the video task and imaginal task twice. The first visit will be before any ketamine treatment. The second visit will be within 1 week after first ketamine infusion. This is NOT at treatment study. Study inclusion is open to participants with MDD who are already planning to receive ketamine treatment at Emory. No treatment is offered through this study.

## Interventions

- **Video Task** (BEHAVIORAL) — Subjects are asked to watch a series of six two-minute video clips. The video clips are designed to induce sad or happy emotions or no emotion (neutral) and are taken from movies, documentaries, or instructional videos. There are two videos for each emotion condition. Videos and fixation cross screens are viewed on a laptop computer. In between video clips, patients are asked to quietly look at a fixation cross for one minute, describe their emotional reaction to the video for up to one minute, then again attend to a fixation cross for one minute. A video recording of the frontal view of the participant's face will be made during task performance.
- **Imaginal Task** (OTHER) — Subjects are asked to think about happy or sad memories for 2 minutes. Subjects are asked to imagine performing neutral tasks, such as buying groceries. Subjects are then asked to think about a memory that makes them feel angry. A video recording of the frontal view of the participant's face will be made during task performance.

## Primary Outcomes

- **Change in heart rate variability (HRV, also called RSA)** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Video Task Session 1 (30 minutes))_ — HRV is measured as the variations of the time interval between two consecutive cardiac beats registered by means of electrocardiogram (EKG). Change is the difference from between HRV at baseline and after video task.
- **Change in heart rate variability (HRV, also called RSA)** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Imaginal Task Session 1 (6 minutes))_ — HRV is measured as the variations of the time interval between two consecutive cardiac beats registered by means of electrocardiogram (EKG). Change is the difference from between HRV at baseline and after the imaginal task.
- **Change in heart rate variability (HRV, also called RSA)** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Video Task Session 2 (30 minutes))_ — HRV is measured as the variations of the time interval between two consecutive cardiac beats registered by means of electrocardiogram (EKG). Change is the difference from between HRV at baseline and after video task one week post-infusion.
- **Change in heart rate variability (HRV, also called RSA)** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Imaginal Task Session 2 (6 minutes))_ — RSA is measured by changes in the R-R interval (time between two of the distinctive, large, upward "R" spikes on an electrocardiogram (EKG)) synchronized with respiration. Change is the difference from between RSA at baseline and after imaginal task one week post-infusion.

## Secondary Outcomes

- **Mean values of positive emotional expressions** _(time frame: Post-Video Task Session 1 (30 minutes))_
- **Mean values of positive emotional expressions** _(time frame: Post-Imaginal Task Session 1 (6 minutes))_
- **Mean values of negative emotional expressions** _(time frame: Post-Video Task Session 1 (30 minutes))_
- **Mean values of negative emotional expressions** _(time frame: Post-Imaginal Task Session 1 (6 minutes))_
- **Mean values of positive emotional expressions** _(time frame: Post-Video Task Session 2 (30 minutes))_
- **Mean values of positive emotional expressions** _(time frame: Post-Imaginal Task Session 2 (6 minutes))_
- **Mean values of negative emotional expressions** _(time frame: Post-Video Task Session 2 (30 minutes))_
- **Mean values of negative emotional expressions** _(time frame: Post-Imaginal Task Session 2 (6 minutes))_
- **Mean activation of muscle action units** _(time frame: Post-Video Task Session 1 (30 minutes))_
- **Mean activation of muscle action units** _(time frame: Post-Imaginal Task Session 1 (6 minutes))_
- **Mean activation of muscle action units** _(time frame: Post-Video Task Session 2 (30 minutes))_
- **Mean activation of muscle action units** _(time frame: Post-Imaginal Task Session 2 (6 minutes))_
- **Change in heart rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Video Task Session 1 (30 minutes))_
- **Change in heart rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Imaginal Task Session 1 (6 minutes))_
- **Change in heart rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Video Task Session 2 (30 minutes))_
- **Change in heart rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Imaginal Task Session 2 (6 minutes))_
- **Change in skin conductance response (SCR)** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Video Task Session 1 (30 minutes))_
- **Change in skin conductance response (SCR)** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Imaginal Task Session 1 (6 minutes))_
- **Change in skin conductance response (SCR)** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Video Task Session 2 (30 minutes))_
- **Change in skin conductance response (SCR)** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Imaginal Task Session 2 (6 minutes))_
- **Change in respiration rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Video Task Session 1 (30 minutes))_
- **Change in respiration rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Imaginal Task Session 1 (6 minutes))_
- **Change in respiration rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Video Task Session 2 (30 minutes))_
- **Change in respiration rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Imaginal Task Session 2 (6 minutes))_
- **Change in pulse rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Video Task Session 1 (30 minutes))_
- **Change in pulse rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Imaginal Task Session 1 (6 minutes))_
- **Change in pulse rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Video Task Session 2 (30 minutes))_
- **Change in pulse rate** _(time frame: Baseline, Post-Imaginal Task Session 2 (6 minutes))_

## Locations (3)

- Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- 12 Executive Park Drive, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Emory University at Wesley Woods Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, United States

## Recent Field Changes (last 30 days)

- `status.overallStatus` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.primaryCompletionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.completionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.lastUpdatePostDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.phases` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.enrollmentCount` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.criteria` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.minAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.maxAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.sex` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.primary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.secondary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.arms` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.interventions` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.lead` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `results.hasResults` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.emory university hospital|atlanta|georgia|united states` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.12 executive park drive|atlanta|georgia|united states` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.emory university at wesley woods hospital|atlanta|georgia|united states` — added _(2026-05-12)_

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT02525978.md*  
*Source data (authoritative): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02525978*  
*This page is a raw mirror with no AI summary, no editorial enrichment, and no Parkinson's-specific filtering.*