Brooding rumination and heart rate variability in women at high and low risk for depression: Group differences and moderation by COMT genotype

There is growing evidence that rumination, perhaps specifically brooding rumination, is a core feature of depression and that it contributes to the development and maintenance of the disorder. A separate line of research has highlighted the role played by heart rate variability (HRV). Both brooding rumination and HRV appear to be driven by disruption in the same neural circuit, heightened amygdala reactivity combined with decreased prefrontal control, and both are highlighted in different units of analysis as reflecting the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) construct of Loss. However, little is known about the relation among these variables. In the current study, we predicted that higher levels of brooding rumination would be associated with lower levels of HRV and that women at high risk for future depression (i.e., those with a history of past major depressive disorder [MDD]) would exhibit higher levels of brooding and lower levels of HRV. We also examined genetic influences on the variables in this model. We predicted that COMT Val158Met genotype, which has been linked to heightened amygdala reactivity and deficits in prefrontal functioning, would be associated with brooding rumination and HRV, particularly among women with a history of past MDD. The results largely supported our hypotheses, providing additional support for relations among the different units of analysis for the Loss construct.