Partial Spectral Analysis of Cardiac-Related Sympathetic Nerve Discharge

2000 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 1168-1179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter D. Larsen ◽  
Craig D. Lewis ◽  
Gerard L. Gebber ◽  
Sheng Zhong

We have studied the relationship between pulse synchronous baroreceptor input (represented by the arterial pulse, AP) and the cardiac-related rhythm in sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) of urethan-anesthetized cats by using partial autospectral and partial coherence analysis. Partial autospectral analysis was used to mathematically remove the portion of SND that can be directly attributed to the AP, while partial coherence analysis was used to removed the portion of the relationship between the discharges of sympathetic nerve pairs that can be attributed to linear AP-SND relationships that are common to the nerves. The ordinary autospectrum of SND (ASSND) and coherence functions relating the discharges of nerve pairs (CohSND-SND) contained a peak at the frequency of the heart beat. When the predominant mode of coordination between AP and SND was a phase walk, partialization of the autospectra of SND with AP (ASSND/AP) left considerable power in the cardiac-related band. In contrast, when the predominant mode of coordination between AP and SND was phase-locking, there was virtually no cardiac-related activity remaining in ASSND/AP. Partialization of CohSND-SND with AP reduced the peak coherence within the cardiac-related band in both modes of coordination but to a much greater extent during phase-locking. After baroreceptor denervation, CohSND-SND at the cardiac frequency remained significant, although a clear peak above background coherence was no longer apparent. These results are consistent with a model in which the central circuits controlling different sympathetic nerves share baroreceptor inputs and in addition are physically interconnected. The baroreceptor-sympathetic relationship contains both linear and nonlinear components, the former reflected by phase-locking and the latter by phase walk. The residual power in ASSND/AP during phase walk can be attributed to the nonlinear relationship, and the residual peak in partialized nerve-to-nerve coherence (CohSND-SND/AP) arises largely from nonlinearities that are common to the two nerves. During both phase walk and phase-locking, in addition to common nonlinear AP-SND relationships, coupling of the central circuits generating the nerve activities may contribute to CohSND-SND/APbecause significant CohSND-SND was still observed following baroreceptor denervation.

1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (4) ◽  
pp. R1314-R1324 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Zhong ◽  
S. Y. Zhou ◽  
G. L. Gebber ◽  
S. M. Barman

Phase-locked slow rhythms in sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) and phrenic nerve activity (PNA) are generally thought to arise from a common brain stem "cardiorespiratory" oscillator. The results obtained in vagotomized and baroreceptor-denervated cats anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium do not support this view. First, partial coherence analysis revealed that the discharges of pairs of sympathetic nerves remained correlated at the frequency of the central respiratory cycle after mathematical removal of the portion of these signals common to PNA. The residual coherence suggests that the slow rhythm in SND is dependent on central mechanisms in addition to those responsible for rhythmic PNA. Second, the rhythms in SND and PNA became coupled in a 2:1 relationship during either moderate systemic hypocapnia or hypercapnia. Third, the slow rhythm in SND was maintained when rhythmic PNA was eliminated during extreme hypocapnia. Fourth, during extreme hypercapnia, coherence of the rhythms in SND and PNA was drastically reduced. These results suggest that the slow rhythms in SND and PNA arise from separate oscillators that are normally coupled.


1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (3) ◽  
pp. R561-R571 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Gebber ◽  
S. M. Barman ◽  
B. Kocsis

Analyses in the frequency and time domains were used to study the relationships between the discharges of single brain stem neurons and postganglionic sympathetic nerves in baroreceptor-innervated and -denervated cats anesthetized with 5,5-diallylbarbiturate-urethan. Spike-triggered averaging was used initially to identify single neurons with sympathetic nerve-related activity in the medullary lateral tegmental field, rostral ventrolateral medulla, and medullary raphe. The discharges of such neurons were correlated to the 2- to 6-Hz rhythm in sympathetic nerve discharge (SND). Frequency-domain analysis revealed that the relationship between medullary unit activity and the sympathetic nerve rhythm was not fixed from cycle to cycle. First, the coherence values relating the activity of these neurons to SND were closer to zero than to unity in most cases. Second, whereas most of the power in the autospectra of SND was contained between 2 and 6 Hz, that in the autospectra of medullary unit activity was more evenly distributed over a much wider frequency band. These and other observations indicate that the 2- to 6-Hz rhythm is an emergent property of a network of brain stem neurons whose discharges are probabilistically rather than strictly related to the phases of the population rhythm.


1994 ◽  
Vol 267 (2) ◽  
pp. R387-R399 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Gebber ◽  
S. Zhong ◽  
S. M. Barman ◽  
Y. Paitel ◽  
H. S. Orer

Partial coherence analysis was used to remove the influences of the central circuits controlling a sympathetic nerve (as reflected by its discharges) on the coherence of the 10-Hz discharges of other sympathetic nerves in unanesthetized decerebrate or urethan-anesthetized cats. In many cases, partialization reduced but did not eliminate the sharp peak near 10 Hz in the coherence functions relating the discharges of sympathetic nerve pairs. This observation implies that the central sources of the 10-Hz rhythmic discharges of any nerve are not identical to those responsible for the rhythm recorded from any other nerve. Partial coherence analysis also revealed differential relationships among the 10-Hz rhythmic discharges of sympathetic nerves with different targets. Importantly, the pattern of differential relationships observed in one experiment could be the reverse of that in the next. Although the basis for the differential relationships is not yet clear, nonuniform coupling of multiple brain stem 10-Hz oscillators and/or nonuniform cross talk between spinal circuits controlling different sympathetic nerves may be involved.


2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (5) ◽  
pp. R1396-R1410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaun W. Phillips ◽  
Gerard L. Gebber ◽  
Susan M. Barman

We used spectral analysis and event-triggered averaging to determine the effects of chemical inactivation of the medullary lateral tegmental field (LTF) on 1) the relationship of intratracheal pressure (ITP, an index of vagal lung inflation afferent activity) to sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) and phrenic nerve activity (PNA) and 2) central respiratory rate in paralyzed, artificially ventilated dial-urethane-anesthetized cats. ITP-SND coherence value at the frequency of artificial ventilation was significantly ( P < 0.05; n = 18) reduced from 0.73 ± 0.04 (mean ± SE) to 0.24 ± 0.04 after bilateral microinjection of muscimol into the LTF. Central respiratory rate was unexpectedly increased in 12 of these experiments (0.28 ± 0.03 vs. 0.95 ± 0.25 Hz). The ITP-PNA coherence value was variably affected by chemical inactivation of the LTF. It was unchanged when central respiratory rate was also not altered, decreased when respiratory rate was increased above the rate of artificial ventilation, and increased when respiratory rate was raised from a value below the rate of artificial ventilation to the same frequency as the ventilator. Chemical inactivation of the LTF increased central respiratory rate in four of six vagotomized cats but did not significantly affect the PNA-SND coherence value. These data demonstrate that the LTF 1) plays a critical role in mediating the effects of vagal lung inflation afferents on SND but not PNA, 2) helps maintain central respiratory rate in the physiological range, but 3) is not involved in the coupling of central respiratory and sympathetic circuits.


1995 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 474-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Cohen ◽  
Q. Yu ◽  
W. X. Huang

1. In vagotomized, paralyzed, decerebrate cats, simultaneous recordings were taken from one or more sympathetic nerves [cervical sympathetic (CS), inferior cardiac (IC), splanchnic (SP)] and from medullary neurons in vasomotor-related regions. Coherence analyses were used to ascertain the presence of sympathetic rhythms (2-6 Hz or "3-Hz rhythm," 7-13 Hz or "10-Hz rhythm") that were correlated between different signals. The occurrence of a significant peak at such a frequency in a unit-nerve coherence spectrum allowed the identification of a medullary neuron as sympathetic related. 2. A serendipitous example is given of a rostral ventrolateral medullary neuron that had significant unit-nerve 10-Hz coherence peaks for three sympathetic nerves (CS, IC, SP); but, as revealed by partial coherence analysis, the unit activity's correlation with one nerve's activity could be partially or completely dependent on its correlation with other nerve activities. Thus in this case the unit-CS and unit-IC coherences at 10 Hz were completely dependent on the SP rhythm, whereas the unit-SP coherence was not significantly affected by the CS and IC rhythms. This asymmetry suggests that the neuron was preferentially connected to SP-generating medullary circuits. 3. This example indicates the strength of partial coherence analysis as a means of studying differential connectivity between medullary sympathetic-related neurons and sympathetic output neuron populations.


1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (3) ◽  
pp. R549-R560 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Kocsis ◽  
G. L. Gebber ◽  
S. M. Barman ◽  
M. J. Kenney

The coherence function and phase spectrum were used to study the relationships between the discharges of sets of two postganglionic or preganglionic sympathetic nerves in baroreceptor-denervated cats anesthetized with either 5,5-diallylbarbiturate-urethan or alpha-chloralose. Most of the power in sympathetic nerve discharge was contained between 2 and 6 Hz. The coherence values relating the activity of two nerves were significantly different from zero within this frequency band. The phase spectrum was either linear or complex (i.e., showed changes in slope) within the coherent frequency band. We observed three patterns of relationship. The first pattern was characterized by a constant interval between activity in different sympathetic nerves within the coherent frequency band. The second pattern was characterized by a frequency-dependent interval. The third pattern was characterized by uncoupling of the 2- to 6-Hz rhythms in the discharges of different nerves. Switching between these patterns was observed. We suggest that the three patterns reflect different functional states of the central system responsible for the 2- to 6-Hz rhythm. Two models of this system are entertained. The first model is one of a system of coupled oscillators while filtering circuits that receive common inputs are the elements of the second model.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mate Aller ◽  
Heidi Solberg Okland ◽  
Lucy J MacGregor ◽  
Helen Blank ◽  
Matthew H. Davis

Speech perception in noisy environments is enhanced by seeing facial movements of communication partners. However, the neural mechanisms by which audio and visual speech are combined are not fully understood. We explore MEG phase locking to auditory and visual signals in MEG recordings from 14 human participants (6 female) that reported words from single spoken sentences. We manipulated the acoustic clarity and visual speech signals such that critical speech information is present in auditory, visual or both modalities. MEG coherence analysis revealed that both auditory and visual speech envelopes (auditory amplitude modulations and lip aperture changes) were phase-locked to 2-6Hz brain responses in auditory and visual cortex, consistent with entrainment to syllable-rate components. Partial coherence analysis was used to separate neural responses to correlated audio-visual signals and showed non-zero phase locking to auditory envelope in occipital cortex during audio-visual (AV) speech. Furthermore, phase-locking to auditory signals in visual cortex was enhanced for AV speech compared to audio-only (AO) speech that was matched for intelligibility. Conversely, auditory regions of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) did not show above-chance partial coherence with visual speech signals during AV conditions, but did show partial coherence in VO conditions. Hence, visual speech enabled stronger phase locking to auditory signals in visual areas, whereas phase-locking of visual speech in auditory regions only occurred during silent lip-reading. Differences in these cross-modal interactions between auditory and visual speech signals are interpreted in line with cross-modal predictive mechanisms during speech perception.


1994 ◽  
Vol 267 (2) ◽  
pp. R400-R407 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Gebber ◽  
S. Zhong ◽  
S. M. Barman ◽  
H. S. Orer

Partial coherence analysis was used to remove the influences of pulse-synchronous baroreceptor nerve activity (as reflected by the arterial pulse) on the coherence of the cardiac-related discharges of sympathetic nerve pairs in unanesthetized decerebrate cats. It can be predicted that the peak at the heart rate frequency in the ordinary coherence function relating the discharges of two nerves will be eliminated by either partialization using the arterial pulse or surgical baroreceptor denervation, if the central circuits controlling the nerves share baroreceptor inputs but are not interconnected. Contrary to this prediction, in many experiments the peak was not eliminated by partialization using the arterial pulse. Moreover, partialization often nonuniformly reduced the peaks at the heart rate frequency in the coherence functions for different nerve pairs. These results are consistent with a model of multiple routes over which baroreceptor influences are distributed to the central circuits controlling different sympathetic nerves. Specifically, we propose that the direct route from the baroreceptors to each of the central circuits is complemented by cross talk among the central circuits.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (5) ◽  
pp. R1173-R1185 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Gebber ◽  
S. Zhong ◽  
Y. Paitel

Bispectral analysis was used to demonstrate quadratic nonlinear coupling (i.e., phase locking) of different frequency components in inferior cardiac sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) of urethan-anesthetized rats. The complex patterns of SND analyzed included mixtures of 1) the cardiac-related and 10-Hz rhythms, 2) the 10-Hz rhythm and irregular 2-to 6-Hz oscillations, and 3) the 10-Hz rhythm and a lower frequency non-cardiac-related rhythm near 4 Hz. In some cases, the bicoherence function (normalized bispectrum) showed no phase locking of these frequency components. Cases of nil bicoherence are equated with linear superposition of frequency components, which implies the existence of multiple and noninteractive central circuits. Increased complexity of SND was observed in other cases, as evidenced by significant phase locking of different frequency components with or without frequency locking. Frequency locking (higher frequency rhythm is a multiple of lower) was confirmed by constructing Lissajous orbital plots showing covariation of voltages in selectively filtered bands of SND. We equate frequency locking with nonlinear coupling of the central generators of different sympathetic nerve rhythms and phase locking without frequency locking possibly with nonlinearities arising at levels below noncoupled central rhythm generators.


1981 ◽  
Vol 240 (5) ◽  
pp. R335-R347 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Barman ◽  
G. L. Gebber

The relationships among the spontaneous activity of single neurons in the cat medulla and inferior cardiac sympathetic nerve discharge (SND), electroencephalogram (EEG) activity, phrenic nerve activity, and the R wave of the electrocardiogram were studied with the methods of spike-triggered averaging and postevent interval analysis. Three categories of neurons (SR, SE, and S) with activity patterns related to SND wee identified. The activity of SR units was related in time to SND and the R wave but not to EEG activity. SE unit discharges were related to SND and EEG activity but not to the R wave. S unit activity was related only to SND. Each of the three categories of neurons could be subdivided into two groups depending on whether their discharges were followed by an increase or a decrease in SND. All unit types exhibited respiratory-related discharge patterns. These data are discussed with regard to the problems associated with the identification of neurons in brain stem networks that govern the discharges of sympathetic nerves.


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