Correlates of the shift in heart rate variability with postures and walking by time-frequency analysis

Hsiao Lung Chan*, Ming An Lin, Pei Kuang Chao, Chun Hsien Lin

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

Heart rate (HR) variability derived from electrocardiogram (ECG) can be used to assess the function of the autonomic nervous system. HR exhibits various characteristics during different physical activities attributed to the altered autonomic mediation, where it is also beneficial to reveal the autonomic shift in response to physical-activity change. In this paper, the physical-activity-related HR behaviors were delineated using a portable ECG and body acceleration recorder based on a personal digital assistant and the smoothed pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution. The results based upon eighteen subjects performing four sequential 5-min physical activities (supine, sitting, standing and spontaneous walking) showed that the high-frequency heartbeat fluctuations during supine and sitting were significantly larger than during standing, and that the ratio of low- to high-frequency fluctuation during standing was significantly higher than during supine and sitting. This could be linked with the parasympathetic predominance during supine and sitting, and a shift to sympathetic dominance while standing. During spontaneous walking, the high-frequency fluctuation was significant lower than during supine. The low- to high-frequency ratio decreased significantly from standing to spontaneous walking, which may imply an increased vagal predominance (autonomic effect) or an increased respiratory activity (mechanical effect).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)124-130
Number of pages7
JournalComputer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine
Volume86
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 05 2007

Keywords

  • Autonomic nervous system
  • Heart rate variability
  • Personal digital assistant
  • Physical-activity

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