Publication Name	World Journal of Psychiatry
Manuscript ID	126675
DOI	10.5498/wjp.126675
Country	China

Category	Psychology
Manuscript Type	Observational Study
Article Title	Exploratory repeated-measures study of examination stress and heart rate variability in medical students
Manuscript Source	Unsolicited Manuscript
All Author List	Yi Fang, Wen-Sheng Huang, Zhao-Song Meng and Dai Shen
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number Tianjin Municipal Education Commission Research Project (Psychological Health Education) 2021YBGX07
Corresponding Author	Dai Shen, Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University Stomatological Hospital, No. 12 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300072, China. sd16899@126.com
Key Words	College students; Anxiety; Autonomic nerve; Heart rate variability analysis; Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7
Core Tip	This prospective, repeated-measure observational study evaluated anxiety, sleep deprivation, and short-term heart rate variability (HRV) among medical students during regular days and examination week (EW). EW was associated with higher self-reported anxiety and more severe sleep insufficiency, while no significant overall changes were observed in the short-term HRV parameters. The exploratory EW analysis revealed that sleep deprivation was positively correlated with anxiety severity, while the low/high frequency ratio was negatively correlated. These findings suggest that HRV provides supplementary physiological information but should not be regarded as a standalone measure for screening anxiety.
Citation	Fang Y, Huang WS, Meng ZS, Shen D. Exploratory repeated-measures study of examination stress and heart rate variability in medical students. World J Psychiatry 2026; In press DOI: https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.126675
PDF	126675-in-press.pdf

Received	2026-08-11 12:17
Peer-Review Started	2026-08-11 12:18
First Decision by Editorial Office Director
Return for Revision	2026-09-02 09:08
Revised	2026-09-28 07:13
Publication Fee Transferred	2026-10-20 05:10
Second Decision by Editor	2026-11-02 02:18
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-11-02 03:26
Articles in Press	2026-11-02 03:26
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	2220-3206 (online)
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