心率变异和RT变异频域分析的方法学研究

心率变异作为检测自主神经系统功能平衡状态的无创性指标，日益受到重视，已成为心电信号处理中的研究热点之一。ＱＴ是心室肌复极化时间，从另一方面来反映自主神经系统的平衡状态。ＱＴ变异分析在临床应用上与心率变异分析是否有互补作用，目前这方面研究工作开展得不多。由于ＱＴ间期检测困难，一般以ＲＴ间期代替ＱＴ间期。建立了心率变异和ＱＴ变异测定方法。在采集２４ｈ心电信号后，首先要完成标志点的检测。较好地实现了心电Ｒ波标志点的检测和异位心跳的剔除，并采用以相关系数为条件的模板匹配方法检测出Ｔ波标志点。频域分析方法分别通过快速傅里叶变换法（ＦＦＴ）和自回归谱估计法（ＡＲ）实现了２４ｈ三维频谱显示图以及２４ｈＨＦ／ＬＦ和高频能量变化趋势图。以不同的频率控制受试者的呼吸，采集其心电数据，从ＲＲ间期和ＲＴ间期谱分析的结果可以看到，高频峰受到呼吸频率的调制，高频峰可能与迷走神经活动有关。这一过程也检验了心电信号采集、检测和谱分析方法的可靠性。建立的方法为今后进一步深入研究打下了基础。随着心率变异和ＱＴ变异的检测和分析技术的日趋成熟，一定会在一些疾病的早期诊断、监护及预后评估等方面发挥更大的作用     

心率变异性分析方法的现状与展望

心率变异(HRV)蕴涵着心血管神经及体液调节的大量信息，心率变异性分析是近年来心电信号处理领域的研究热点，它对于相关疾病的无创检测具有重要的临床意义。本文系统阐述了HRV经典分析方法及其最新研究进展，并提出了今后的研究方向。     

不同海拔健康青年男性心率变异性对比分析

应用短程心率变异性（HRV）时域、频域和非线性分析法，对比进入三个不同海拔高度自主神经系统（ANS）调节功能的特点。发现：与进入海拔1856m相比．海拔2800m平均正常RR间期的标准差（SDNN）、相邻RR间期差的均方根（rMSSD）、相差〉50ms的相邻RR间期占RR间期总数的百分比（PNNS0）、低频成分（LF）、高频成分（HF）以及总功率（TP）均有轻度升高，但无统计学差异；与进入海拔1856m和海拔2800m相比．海拔3040mSDNN、rMSSD、LF和HF显著降低。这表明进入海拔3040m副交感神经活动显著减弱、自主神经系统调节功能显著受抑。自主神经的这种变化有助于进一步阐明进入高海拔机体发生的病理生理学改变。     

儿童焦虑症的心率变异性频谱分析

目的:通过对焦虑症患儿与正常儿童心率变异性(HRV)的比较,探索焦虑症患儿心脏自主神经功能的特点。方法:选择34例焦虑症患儿与30名正常儿童,使用汉密顿焦虑量表(HAMA)进行评估,应用24小时动态心电图记录仪测定HRV并进行比较。结果:焦虑症患儿SDNN、SDANN、RMSSD与PNN50均低于正常对照组(P0.05);焦虑症患儿LF/HF高于正常对照(P0.05),焦虑症患儿HAMA总分与SDNN呈负相关(r=-0.31,P0.05),躯体性焦虑因子分与LF呈正相关(r=0.35,P0.05),精神性焦虑因子分与PNN50呈负相关。结论:儿童焦虑症患者在静息状态下交感神经功能亢进,迷走神经水平降低,以及交感神经与迷走神经功能均衡性失调,并与焦虑症状相关。     

The Effects of Thoracic Sympathotomy on Heart Rate Variability in Patients with Palmar Hyperhidrosis

Purpose

To observe the evolution of heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with palmar hyperhidrosis before and after endoscopic thoracic sympathotomy and to evaluate the effects of the surgery on the autonomic nervous system.

Materials and Methods

Endoscopic thoracic sympathotomy was performed on 20 patients with palmar hyperhidrosis. The thoracic sympathetic chain at the level of the third to fourth rib (R3-R4) was transected, but the ganglia were left in position without removal. A slightly larger ramus, in comparison to the other rami, that arose laterally from the sympathetic chain was interrupted to achieve adequate sympathetic denervation of the upper extremity. Before and on the day after the surgery, 24-hour Holter Electrocardiograph was performed, obtaining time domain and frequency domain parameters.

Results

Compared with preoperative variables, there was a significant increase in the number of adjacent normal R wave to R wave (R-R) intervals that differed by more than 50 ms, as percent of the total number of normal RR intervals (pNN50); root mean square difference, the square root of the mean of the sum of squared differences between adjacent normal RR intervals over the entire 24-hour recording; standard deviation of the average normal RR interval for all 5-minute segments of a 24-hour recording (SDANN) after thoracic sympathotomy. Low frequencies (LF, 0.04 to 0.15 Hz) decreased significantly. There was no statistical difference in high frequencies (HF, 0.15 to 0.40 Hz), LF/HF ratio (LF/HF), or standard deviation for all normal RR intervals for the entire 24-h recording (SDNN) before and after thoracic sympathotomy.

Conclusion

There was a significant improvement in HRV in patients with palmar hyperhidrosis after thoracic sympathotomy. This may be attributable to an improvement autonomic nervous system balance and parasympathetic predominance in the early postoperative stage.     

The Association of Heart Rate Variability with Parkinsonian Motor Symptom Duration

Purpose

Impaired cardiovascular autonomic regulation is a non-motor symptom of Parkinson''s disease (PD) and may increase long-term morbidity. This study applied frequency-domain analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) to understand the progression of sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiac regulation in patients with PD.

Materials and Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 21 male and 11 female Taiwanese patients with advanced PD and 32 healthy gender- and age-matched subjects were enrolled. To minimize artifacts due to subject motion, daytime electrocardiograms for 5 minutes were recorded in awake patients during levodopa-on periods and controls. Using fast Fourier transformation, heart rate variables were quantified into a high-frequency power component [0.15-0.45 Hz, considered to reflect vagal (parasympathetic) regulation], low-frequency power component (0.04-0.15 Hz, reflecting mixed sympathetic and parasympathetic regulation), and low-frequency power in normalized units (reflecting sympathetic regulation). The significance of between-group differences was analyzed using the paired t-test. Pearson correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis were applied to assess the correlation of patient age, PD duration, and disease severity (represented by the Unified Parkinson''s Disease Rating Scale) with each heart rate variables.

Results

Impaired HRV is significantly correlated with the duration of PD, but not with disease severity and patient age. Meanwhile, parasympathetic heart rate variable is more likely than sympathetic heart rate variable to be affected by PD.

Conclusion

PD is more likely to affect cardiac parasympathetic regulation than sympathetic regulation by time and the heart rate variables have the association with Parkinsonian motor symptom duration.     

Time-Frequency Analysis of Heart Rate Variability During Transient Segments

The spectral characteristics of heart rate variability (HRV) are related to the modulation of the autonomic nervous system. As the physiological condition is changed by such external stimuli such as drugs, postural changes, and anesthesia, or by internal deregulation such as in syncope, adjective autonomic responses could alter HRV characteristics. Time-frequency analysis is commonly used to investigate the time-related HRV characteristics. An alteration of the autonomic regulation resulting in a change in mean heart rate induces a transient component in heart rate, which, with any analysis method based on signals from multiple beats, results in the apparent spread of the spectrum of frequencies. This obscures the spectral components related to the autonomic function. In this paper we investigated the influence of the transient component in several time-frequency methods including the short-time Fourier transform, the Choi-Williams distribution, the smoothed pseudo Wigner–Ville distribution (SPWVD), the filtering SPWVD compensation, and the discrete wavelet transform. One simulated signal and two heart rate signals during general anesthesia and postural change were used for this assessment. The result demonstrates that the filtering SPWVD compensation and the discrete wavelet transform have small spectrum interference from the transient component. © 2001 Biomedical Engineering Society.PAC01: 8719Hh, 8780-y     

心率变异性的检测与分析

心率变异性(HRV)是逐次心跳R-R间期之间存在的微小差异,其蕴涵着心血管神经及体液调节的大量信息,心率变异性的检测与分析是近年来心电信号处理领域的研究热点,其对于心血管系统疾病的无创检测具有重要的临床意义。本文介绍了心率变异性的原理、研究现状与临床意义,描述了用于计算心率变异性的各种QRS复合波检测方法,综述了心率变异性的时域分析、频域分析、时频分析和非线性动力学分析方法,并总结展望了今后的研究方向。     

基于遥测技术的大鼠24小时心率变异性分析

本研究应用遥测技术连续记录大鼠在无束缚条件下24h心电信号，并通过心率变异性（Heart rate variability，HRV）频谱分析的方法研究大鼠24h自主神经活动。大鼠24hHRV分析结果表明：自主神经活动具有明显昼夜节律，在睡眠期迷走神经活动较活跃，而在清醒期以交感神经活动为主；HRV频谱中低频和高频成分的比值（LF／HF）随着睡眠深度的变化而波动。24hHRV分析可以获得自主神经系统活动的丰富信息，并有助于研究自主神经系统在生理和病理过程中的调控作用。     

卡维地洛对心绞痛患者心率变异性的影响

目的评价卡维地洛对冠心病心绞痛型患者心率变异性（HRV）的影响。方法冠心病心绞痛型患者120例随机分为卡维地洛组（62例）和对照组（58例）,用药前后2周分别记录24h动态心电图,评价患者心率变异性指标的变化。结果两组治疗后心率变异性各参数较治疗前均显著改善（P〈0．01）,治疗后卡维地洛组较对照组改善更为显著（P〈0．01）。结论卡维地洛可以显著提高冠心病心绞痛型患者的心率变异性。     

慢性肾衰患者心率变异性改变

目的　通过心率变异性 (HRV)变化测定 ,探讨慢性肾功能衰竭 (CRF)患者的自主神经活动状况。方法　用2 4小时动态心电图分析系统 ,对 2 0例健康者 ,77例CRF患者 (其中 30例氮质血症 ,4 7例尿毒症 )心率变异性的时域指标进行对比研究。结果　CRF患者心率变异性的测定结果为 :SDNN 85 .2 8± 19.96 ,SDANN 75 .5 5± 2 2 .4 7,r-MSSD19.2 2± 11.82 ,PNN50 6 .7± 14 .79,各项指标均明显低于健康者 (P <0 .0 1)。氮质血症期与尿毒症期心率变异性无明显差别。结论　通过HRV时域分析发现 ,CRF患者有自主神经调节功能紊乱。CRF氮质血症期患者已出现HRV下降 ,提示CRF患者早期就存在自主神经功能损害。     

Role of Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems in Heart Rate Regulation in Cats

The effects of atropine and β-adrenoceptor blockers on mean HR, wave structure of the cardiac rhythm, and chronotropic reaction to noise stress were examined in cats. Atropine (0.5 mg/kg) increased the mean HR and significantly decreased the spectrum power of HF, LF, and VLF oscillations. The decrease in HF power was most pronounced, which enhanced LF/HF ratio. Propranolol (0.5 mg/kg) decreased the mean HR and slightly increased the power of HF, LF, and VLF oscillations. Atenolol (2 mg/kg) exerted similar but more pronounced effects. β-Adrenoceptor blockers increased HF power to a greater extent than LF and VLF power, which led to a decrease in LF/HF ratio. Atropine markedly decreased the chronotropic reaction to stress. β-Adrenoceptor blockers produced no effect on the amplitude of this reaction, but accelerated restoration of initial HR. It is established that the changes in power spectrum of HR and the phase reflex reactions in cats are mediated by parasympathetic influences; the sympathetic system is involved only in the control of mean HR, probably in response to the level of animal activity. The changes in LF/HF ratio during blockade of sympathetic and parasympathetic systems are caused by opposite influences of these systems on HF oscillations, but not by hypothetic “sympathetic” and “parasympathetic” nature of LF and HF oscillations of the heart rhythm. __________ Translated from Byulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 140, No. 11, pp. 484–489, November, 2005     

Changes of Heart Rate Variability during Methylphenidate Treatment in Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Children: A 12-Week Prospective Study

Purpose

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rating scales and to evaluate the usefulness of heart rate variability (HRV) as a psychophysiological biomarker for ADHD.

Materials and Methods

Subjects were recruited from outpatients in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Korea University Medical Center from August 2007 to December 2010. Subjects received methylphenidate. Time- and frequency-domain analyses of HRV, the Korean ADHD rating scale (K-ARS), and computerized ADHD diagnostic system were evaluated before treatment. After a 12-week period of medication administration, we repeated the HRV measurements and K-ARS rating.

Results

Eighty-six subjects were initially enrolled and 37 participants completed the 12-week treatment and HRV measurements subsequent to the treatment. Significant correlations were found between the K-ARS inattention score and some HRV parameters. All of the HRV parameters, except the standard deviations of the normal-to-normal interval, very low frequency, and low frequency to high frequency, showed a significant positive correlation between baseline and endpoint measures in completers. High frequency (HF) and the square root of the mean squared differences of successive normal-to-normal intervals (RMSSD), which are related to parasympathetic vagal tone, showed significant decreases from baseline to endpoint.

Conclusion

The HRV test was shown to be reproducible. The decrease in HF and RMSSD suggests that parasympathetic dominance in ADHD can be altered by methylphenidate treatment. It also shows the possibility that HRV parameters can be used as psychophysiological markers in the treatment of ADHD.     

以短时心率变异性反映充血性心力衰竭患者自主神经活动的改变

基于短时心率变异性（HRV）分析,探讨充血性心力衰竭（CHF）患者自主神经活动的变化和影响。选用THEW数据库中正常人子数据库作为正常对照组（n=189）,对于PhysioNet中两个CHF子数据库的样本（n=44）,按照NYHA等级,将NYHA I-II级划分轻度CHF 组（n=12）,NYHA III-IV级为重度CHF组（n=32）。对每一个Holter记录选取日间和夜间安静态各5 min的RR间期（RRI）序列,分别进行时域、基于AR模型的频域和去趋势波动（DFA）分析。在正常组、轻度CHF组和重度CHF组等三组中,CHF患者日间的短时分形尺度指数（(α₁)_d）两两比较均有显著性差异,并存在下降趋势（依次分别为1.35±0.21、1.03±0.29和0.81±0.29）,反映心率动力学从分形特性转向更随机化的结构。同时,日间HFn((HFn)_d)在三组间的两两比较中均存在显著性差异,并存在上升趋势（依次分别为23.89%±12.78%、37.22%±11.24%和56.30%±15.28%）, 表明CHF导致交感神经和迷走神经交互作用趋于消失。利用夜间RRI（RRI_n）,(HFn)_d 和 (α₁)_d等3个指标进行Fisher线性判别,区分正常人和CHF患者的灵敏性和特异性分别为90.91%和92.06%,而区分轻度和重度CHF患者的灵敏性和特异性分别为84.38%和100%。所进行的研究将HRV非线性方法与传统方法相结合评估自主神经状态, 为监测CHF病情或观察治疗效果等潜在的临床应用提供了依据。     

Heart rate variability in acute psychosis

Heart rate variability (HRV) provides reliable tools to assess the integrity and reactivity of autonomic nervous function. Our aim was to examine HRV in the resting condition and during different mental loads in acute psychosis compared to healthy controls. HRV was measured in 17 first-episode drug-naive patients with psychosis and 21 healthy controls during oddball tasks and while performing the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. A discrete event series was constructed by an adaptive QRS detector algorithm and power spectrum estimation was carried out. The RMSSD (representing interval differences of successive heartbeats) and the amount of high frequency (HF) power were significantly reduced in patients. Moreover, the patients' HRV remained unaltered during the tasks, whereas in controls the HRV diminished with increasing mental load of the task. Patients with psychosis displayed less short-term HR reactivity than healthy controls. They also failed to adapt HRV according to the task-connected strain. Acute psychosis is characterized by a limited capacity to respond to external demands at the level of autonomic nervous system.     

基于多分辨率分析的心率变异性分析

目的：心率变异性蕴藏了大量有关心血管调节的信息,可作为定量反映自主神经功能及其对心血管的调控作用和反映心脏活动正常与否的重要指标之一。因此,主要研究了几种常用的心率变异性分析方法。方法：本论文应用多分辨率分析方法对HRV信号进行6尺度分解,计算小波系数的能量及其在各频段的分布,对cd3-cd6频段的能量进行分析比较。结果：充血性心衰患者各频段能量均值比正常人都要低,能量分别主要集中在高频段和低频段的偏低频部分,且两组的能量差异更为明显,与频域分析结果相比更为精确。结论：要得到带有普遍规律的实验结果,需要对不同的分析方法进行不断地改进和优化,并进行大量的研究工作。     

心率变异性多参数分析的BP网络用于心衰诊断的研究

人工神经网络是由大量并行工作的神经元组成的智能仿生模型,它在模式识别领域已经展示出了广阔的应用前景。鉴于单一心率变异性(HRV)指标所表达出来的信息具有片面性,很难用一个单一的指标来完全分类充盈性心衰(CHF)患者和健康人的不足。本研究提出联合HRV信号分析的时域、频域、非线性方法,选取多个指标作为诊断CHF的特征参数,以BP神经网络为分类器实现对充盈性心衰的诊断。经过10 000次的训练、验证与仿真测试,该网络模型对于全样本集的识别正确率最优高达99.14%,平均可达86.97%。结果表明:联合线性(时域、频域)以及非线性分析方法可以更全面地揭示心脏的动力学特征,从而提高充盈性心衰的诊断正确率。     

基于心率变异性的精神疲劳的研究

以心率变异性指标对精神疲劳程度进行客观评估。对主动疲劳与被动疲劳进行区分,指出负荷、应激与疲劳之间的联系。在此基础上,设计读书和笔算两种精神疲劳实验。比较读书阶段和音乐放松阶段的心率变异性(HRV)指标,将笔算过程的HRV指标和工效指标结合起来进行分析。结果表明:以工作绩效检测精神疲劳有局限性;读书阶段的疲劳累积效应强于笔算过程引发的疲劳;随着读书或笔算过程中疲劳程度的增加,HRV增加而HR降低,说明精神疲劳促使应激能力降低。HRV直接反映的是应激水平,在严格的约束条件下,HRV可以反映被动疲劳程度;随着被动疲劳程度的增加,通常HRV升高,HR降低,这可能是生理抑制性保护作用。     

Effects of Autonomic Blockade on Heart Rate Responses to Reaction Time and Sustained Handgrip Tasks

This study used both beta-adrenergic and cholinergic pharmacological blockade to investigate differences in autonomic mediation of heart rate responses during reaction time and sustained handgrip tasks. Forty-five healthy young men received a venous infusion of saline and then performed each task for the first time. Then, each subject received a second infusion consisting of either saline, propranolol hydrochloride, or atropine sulfate, and repeated each task. For each infusion, the 15 subjects in each group were unaware of which of the three substances they were receiving. The results indicate that heart rate increases during the reaction time task were mediated by increased beta-adrenergic activity, whereas heart rate increases during handgrip were mediated by a combination of increased beta-adrenergic activity and vagal withdrawal. These results support the hypothesis that neural mechanisms mediating cardiac adjustments during some types of psychological stress differ qualitatively from mechanisms mediating similar-appearing adjustments during some types of physical exertion.     

Changes in Heart Rate Variability during a tonic immobility test in quail

Tonic immobility (TI) is an unlearned fear response induced by a brief physical restraint and characterized by a marked autonomic nervous system involvement. This experiment aimed at studying the relative involvement of both autonomic sub-systems, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, during TI, by analyzing Heart Rate Variability. Quail selected genetically for long (LTI) or short (STI) TI duration and quail from a control line (CTI) were used. The animals were surgically fitted with a telemetric device to record electrocardiograms before and during a TI test. Heart rate did not differ between lines at rest. The induction of TI, whether effective or not, induced an increase in HR characterized by a shift of the sympathovagal balance towards a higher sympathetic dominance. Parasympathetic activity was lower during effective than during non-effective inductions in CTI quail. During TI, the increase in sympathetic dominance was initially maintained and then declined, while relative parasympathetic activity remained low, especially in CTI and STI lines. The end of tonic immobility was characterized by a rise in overall autonomic activity in all lines and an increase in parasympathetic influence in CTI and STI quail. To conclude, the susceptibility to TI cannot be explained only by autonomic reflex changes. It is probably strongly related to the perception of the test by the quail. During TI, the differences between lines in autonomic responses probably reflect behavioural differences in the fear response.