Kennedy, A., Epstein, D., Jobes, M., Agage, D., Tyburski, M., et al., Ashley P. Kennedy1, David H. Continuous In-The-Field Measurement of Heart Rate: Correlates of Drug Use, Craving, Stress, and Mood in Polydrug Users. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015 June 1; 151: 159-166.
This study examined the association of continuously assessed heart rate (HR) with self-reported drug use, craving, stress and mood among 40 polydrug users in opioid-agonist maintenance. Heart rate was assessed with a chest-band sensor suite (Autosense) worn by participants during waking hours for up to four weeks. Participants self-reported drug use, mood, and activities via ecological momentary assessments via mobile phones. HR was compared with self-report using multilevel modeling. The data yield from the wireless electrocardiographs was 85.7%. HR was higher when participants reported cocaine use and as a function of the dose of cocaine reported. HR was higher when participants reported craving heroin or cocaine than when they reported of not craving. HR was lower in randomly prompted entries in which participants reported feeling relaxed, feeling happy, or watching TV, and was higher when they reported feeling stressed, being hassled, or walking. Heart rate data can be reliably obtained from drug users in their natural environment and the resultant data reflected episodes drug use and other mental and behavioral events in predicted directions. Potential scalability of continuous measurement of heart rate and other physiological states could be improved through validation with more comfortable daily use form factors.