Efficient estimation of the heart period power spectrum suitable for physiologic or pharmacologic studies

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology Vol. 66; no. 20; pp. 1522 - 1524
• Main Authors: Rottman, Jeffrey N., Steinman, Richard C., Albrecht, Paul, Bigger, J.Thomas, Rolnitzky, Linda M., Fleiss, Joseph L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 15-12-1990; Elsevier
• Subjects: Algorithms; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Coronary heart disease; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; Heart; Heart - physiology; Heart Function Tests; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Medical sciences; Regression Analysis; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Time Factors; Human; RR interval; Heart rate; Prognosis; Infarct; Myocardium; Cardiovascular disease; Exploration; Technique; Coronary heart disease; Computer aid; Monitoring
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/0002-9149(90)90551-B

The standard deviation of the normal RR intervals (SDNN) computed over 24 hours predicts mortality after myocardial infarction.
1 The power spectrum of heart period or of instantaneous heart rate, calculated over intervals of 2 to 15 minutes, is used to assess autonomie nervous system activity: Energy in the 0.04- to 0.15-Hz band reflects both parasympathetic and sympathetic activity, and energy in the 0.15- to 0.40-Hz band reflects pure parasympathetic activity.
2 The prognostic significance of 24-hour SDNN has stimulated interest in computing heart period power spectra for 24-hour periods. Previous computational approaches to the 24-hour heart rate power spectrum used the fast Fourier transform (FFT) to analyze the entire 24-hour period in toto.
3,4 We report a practical approach for computing heart period or heart rate power spectra over 24-hour periods by analyzing the data in 5-minute segments. This approach has the advantages of permitting physiologic and pharmacologic studies and requiring fewer assumptions in dealing with “noisy” or arrhythmic segments.