Arterial pulse wave reflection as feedback

• Published in: IEEE transactions on biomedical engineering Vol. 49; no. 5; pp. 440 - 445
• Main Authors: Quick, C.M., Berger, D.S., Noordergraaf, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-05-2002; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Animals; Arteries - physiology; Bandwidth; Biological and medical sciences; Blood flow; Compliance; Computerized, statistical medical data processing and models in biomedicine; Data analysis; Dogs; Dynamical systems; Dynamics; Elasticity; Feedback - physiology; Frequency; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart; Hemodynamics - physiology; Hemodynamics. Rheology; Humans; Impedance; Large-scale systems; Linear Models; Mathematical models; Medical sciences; Modeling; Models and simulation; Models, Cardiovascular; Negative feedback; Reflection; Spectrum Analysis; Stores; Vascular Resistance - physiology; Vertebrates: cardiovascular system; Wave propagation; Wave reflection; Human; Input impedance; Pressure volume ratio; Dynamic characteristic; Feedback regulation; Compliance(volume pressure); Artery; Blood flow; Hydrodynamic pressure; Wave propagation; Circulatory system; Hemodynamics; Mathematical model; Impulse; Analytical solution
• ISSN: 0018-9294; 1558-2531
• DOI: 10.1109/10.995682

Traditionally, input impedance (Z/sub in/) has been used to characterize the global dynamic properties of an arterial system independent of properties of the heart. Defined as the relationship of pressure and flow at the entrance of an arterial system, it describes the ability of an arterial system to dynamically impede blood flow. Recently, a new description has been developed that also characterizes the arterial system independent of properties of the heart. Apparent arterial compliance (C/sub app/) is defined as the dynamic relationship of input pressure and volume stored in an arterial system, and describes the ability of the arterial system to dynamically store blood. Both Z/sub in/ and C/sub app/ are influenced by pulse wave propagation and reflection. However, the functional form of C/sub app/ lends itself to describing the arterial system in terms of negative feedback. Pulse wave reflection decreases the pulsatile volume stored (gain) at low frequencies, but increases the range of frequencies (bandwidth) in which the pulsatile volume is determined by total arterial compliance. This paper illustrates, by simple analytical formula, large-scale arterial system modeling, and direct analysis of data, how this conceptualization of reflection offers a new means to interpret changes in arterial system dynamics resulting from changes in arterial compliance.