Analysis of heart rate variability

Donovan, Reece Garethe

Analysis of heart rate variability

Thesis / Dissertation

1997

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of Medicine

Faculty

Faculty of Health Sciences

Abstract

Instantaneous heart rate is the reciprocal of the time interval between adjacent QRS complexes in the ECG signal. Heart rate variability analysis is the study of changes in instantaneous heart rate over time. Decreased heart rate variability has been shown to be a powerful predictor of sudden cardiac death syndrome and is also associated with a variety of both pathologic and non-pathologic conditions. A comprehensive literature survey was conducted on the physiological aspects of heart rate control and the techniques used for generating and analysing the heart rate variability signal. Four ECG databases were created from appropriately selected Holter ECG recordings. A computer-based heart rate variability analysis system was then developed. This accepts both single and dual channel ECG signals for processing. The system allows for review and correction of the processed signal. A number of analysis techniques were selected from the literature and implemented. These include time domain measures (mean, standard deviation, SDANN, SDANNi, variance, rMSSD, pNN50 and coefficient of variation), frequency domain techniques (Fourier and auto-regressive modelling for power spectral analysis) and non-linear analytic techniques (histogram, return maps, recurrent plot analysis). The system was calibrated to ensure correct operation. A pilot study was performed to check the QRS detection module. The overall sensitivity results indicate a 99.14 % detection success and a 1.36 % detection failure. The system developed provides a platform for clinical studies of heart rate variability.

Keywords

heart rate

physiology

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