J Affect Disord. 2025 Feb 22:S0165-0327(25)00274-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.02.065. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Few studies of the association between accelerometry-assessed physical activity with major depressive disorder (MDD) have considered the influence of both the averages and variability features, the physical health correlates of depression, or the extent to which changes in sleep and physical activity reflect current state versus enduring patterns of MDD in people with depression.
METHODS: The sample includes 2307 participants from a population cohort from Lausanne, Switzerland. Average and variability of daily sleep (SL), physical activity (PA), and circadian rhythmicity (CR) were derived from accelerometry.
RESULTS: Cardiovascular risk factors, particularly cigarette smoking and body mass index (BMI), were significantly associated with both the average and variability of SL, PA, and CR, and with MDD. Lower average and less variable physical activity, as well as more variable circadian rhythmicity were associated with remitted MDD, whereas later sleep midpoint and greater variation of sleep duration variability were associated with depressive states.
LIMITATION: The cross-sectional nature and two-week assessment period limit within-person interpretations and directional inferences.
CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate the importance of considering both the average and variability of accelerometry-derived phenotypes that may distinguish state from trait manifestations of MDD. Further, the confounding influence of smoking, particularly on state manifestations of MDD, should be considered in studies of accelerometer derived phenotypes, particularly sleep characteristics. Interventions for depression should therefore consider modification of health behaviors such as smoking and overweight, as well as stabilizing the 24-hour rest-activity cycle, rather than treatments that focus solely on mood, sleep or physical activity alone.
PMID:39993533 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2025.02.065
