M. Bootsma et al., HEART-RATE-VARIABILITY DURING REPEATED INCREMENTAL HEAD-UP TILT DISCLOSES TIME-DEPENDENCE OF INDIVIDUAL AUTONOMIC DYNAMICS, Clinical cardiology, 19(1), 1996, pp. 62-68
According to the Rosenblueth-Simeone model, the heart rate (HR) is pro
portional to the sympathovagal balance. The individual proportionality
constant is the intrinsic HR, which can be determined only invasively
. The percentage low-frequency spectral HR variability power, relative
to the low- plus high-frequency spectral power (%LF) has been raised
as a noninvasive alternative. We previously studied young healthy male
subjects, in whom gradual autonomic changes were induced by increment
al head-up tilt (0-10-20-30-40-45-50-55-60-65-70-75-80 degrees). At ea
ch tilt angle we computed HR and %LF. Linear regressions of %LF on HR,
characterizing individual autonomic dynamics, confirmed that, within
a subject, changes in %LF were proportional to changes in HR. For the
current study, we made repeated measurements in 19 subjects after 1 to
8 months. In six subjects, the session 1 and session 2 regression lin
es differed significantly (t-test, p < 0.05), demonstrating the time d
ependence of the autonomic dynamics. In such cases, similar HR values
on different days are to be associated with different %LF values. We a
lso determined the reproducibility of the supine HR and %LF values. Fo
r all 19 subjects, the coefficients of variation were 7 and 22%, respe
ctively: KR reproduces better than %LF. Hence, time-dependent autonomi
c dynamics contribute systematically to the inferior reproducibility o
f %LF.