scholarly journals Human Performance Deterioration Due to Prolonged Wakefulness Can Be Accurately Detected Using Time-Varying Spectral Analysis of Electrodermal Activity

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 1035-1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo F. Posada-Quintero ◽  
Jeffrey B. Bolkhovsky ◽  
Michael Qin ◽  
Ki H. Chon
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Reaction Time ◽  
Sleep Deprivation ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Electrodermal Activity ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Frequency Components

Objective: The aim was to determine if indices of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), derived from the electrodermal activity (EDA) and electrocardiogram (ECG), could be used to detect deterioration in human cognitive performance on healthy participants during 24-hour sleep deprivation. Background: The ANS is highly sensitive to sleep deprivation. Methods: Twenty-five participants performed a desktop-computer-based version of the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) every 2 hours. Simultaneously with reaction time (RT) and false starts from PVT, we measured EDA and ECG. We derived heart rate variability (HRV) measures from ECG recordings to assess dynamics of the ANS. Based on RT values, average reaction time (avRT), minor lapses (RT > 500 ms), and major lapses (RT > 1 s) were computed as indices of performance, along with the total number of false starts. Results: Performance measurement results were consistent with the literature. The skin conductance level, the power spectral index, and the high-frequency components of HRV were not significantly correlated to the indices of performance. The nonspecific skin conductance responses, the time-varying index of EDA (TVSymp), and normalized low-frequency components of HRV were significantly correlated to indices of performance ( p < 0.05). TVSymp exhibited the highest correlation to avRT (–0.92), major lapses (–0.85), and minor lapses (–0.83). Conclusion: We conclude that indices that account for high-frequency dynamics in the EDA, specifically the time-varying approach, constitute a valuable tool for understanding the changes in the autonomic nervous system. Application: This can be used to detect the adverse effects of prolonged wakefulness on human performance.

Abstract 231: Decreased Parasympathetic Activity in the Ovulatory Phase of the Menstrual Cycle

2013 ◽  
Vol 113 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Tweedell ◽  
Matthew Tenan ◽  
Anthony C Hackney ◽  
Matthew Brothers ◽  
Lisa Griffin
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Power Spectrum ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Total Power ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Frequency Components

The Heart rate variability (HRV) power spectrum is a non-invasive index of parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Sex hormone oscillations may affect autonomic nervous system function; however, no systemic difference in HRV across the menstrual cycle has been shown. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that there are changes in HRV spectral power components across the menstrual cycle. Method: Eleven women (24.4±3.6 years) volunteered for this experiment. Menstrual cycle phase was determined via basal body temperature mapping. Participants were tested once in each cycle phase. A 3 lead ECG was sampled at 1000 Hz. A piezoelectric force transducer, placed around the chest, recorded breathing rate. After 20 minutes of quiet seated rest, 5 minutes of data was collected in the upright seated position. Power spectral density analysis was performed on the R-R interval variations by fast Fourier transformation. The spectrum was divided into low (0.04-0.15, Hz) and high (0.15-0.40 Hz) frequency components. In order to attain data normality, the components were transformed with a natural logarithm. A repeated measures ANCOVA was used with a piece-wise covariate function for breathing rates higher and lower than 10 breaths per minute. Results: A significant decrease in total power spectrum was observed at the ovulatory phase (P=0.04) compared to the early follicular, late follicular and mid luteal phases. Furthermore, high-frequency oscillations were lower (P=0.04) in the ovulatory phase compared to late follicular phase. There were no changes observed (P>0.05) in the low frequency power spectrum across the menstrual cycle. Conclusions: The decrease in the high-frequency components of the HRV power spectrum during the ovulatory phase indicates a decrease in parasympathetic regulation of the heart. The ovulatory phase is characterized by an elevated level of progesterone, follicle stimulating and luteinizing hormones, and a moderate level of estradiol. Thus, the changes in these hormones during ovulation appear to affect ANS function.

scholarly journals An assessment of the autonomic nervous system in the electrohypersensitive population: a heart rate variability and skin conductance study

2017 ◽  
Vol 123 (5) ◽  
pp. 1055-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soafara Andrianome ◽  
Jonathan Gobert ◽  
Laurent Hugueville ◽  
Erwan Stéphan-Blanchard ◽  
Frederic Telliez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Electrodermal Activity ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Time Variability ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Autonomic Nervous

The aim of the study was twofold: first, to compare the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) between the population self-declared as electrohypersensitive (EHS) and their matched control individuals without intended exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF). The second objective was to determine whether acute exposure to different radiofrequency signals modifies ANS activity in EHS. For that purpose, two different experiments were undertaken, in which ANS activity was assessed through heart rate variability (HRV) and skin conductance (SC). In the first experiment, a comparison between the EHS group ( n = 30) and the control group ( n = 25) showed that the EHS has an increased number of responses to auditory stimuli as measured by skin conductance activity, and that none of the short-term heart rate variability parameters differ between the two matched study groups. The second experiment, performed in a shielded chamber, involved 10 EHS from the first experiment. The volunteers participated in two different sessions (sham and exposure). The participants were consecutively exposed to four EMF signals (GSM 900, GSM 1800, DECT, and Wi-Fi) at environmental level (1 V/m). The experiment was double blinded and counterbalanced. The HRV variables studied did not differ between the two sessions. Concerning electrodermal activity, the data issued from skin conductance and tonic activity did not differ between the sessions, but showed a time variability. In conclusion, the HRV and SC profiles did not significantly differ between the EHS and control populations under no exposure. Exposure did not have an effect on the ANS parameters we have explored. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study provided analysis on the skin conductance parameters using a newly developed method (peak/min, extraction of skin conductance responses) that had not been performed previously. Additionally, the skin conductance signal was decomposed, considering tonic and phasic activities to be a distinct compound. Moreover, this is the first time a study has been designed into two steps to understand whether the autonomic nervous system is disturbed in the EHS population.

Emotional processing and the autonomic nervous system: a comprehensive meta-analytic investigation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Silva Moreira ◽  
Pedro Chaves ◽  
Nuno Dias ◽  
Patrício Costa ◽  
Pedro Rocha Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Skin Conductance Level ◽  
The Body ◽  
Analytic Investigation ◽  
Physiological Basis ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Conductance Level

Background: The search for autonomic correlates of emotional processing has been a matter of interest for the scientific community with the goal of identifying the physiological basis of emotion. Despite an extensive state-of-the-art exploring the correlates of emotion, there is no absolute consensus regarding how the body processes an affective state.Objectives: In this work, we aimed to aggregate the literature of psychophysiological studies in the context of emotional induction. Methods: For this purpose, we conducted a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analytic investigation, comparing different measures from the electrodermal, cardiovascular, respiratory and facial systems across emotional categories/dimensions. Two-hundred and ninety-one studies met the inclusion criteria and were quantitatively pooled in random-effects meta-analytic modelling. Results: Heart rate and skin conductance level were the most reported psychophysiological measures. Overall, there was a negligible differentiation between emotional categories with respect to the pooled estimates. Of note, considerable amount of between-studies’ heterogeneity was found in the meta-analytic aggregation. Self-reported ratings of emotional arousal were found to be associated with specific autonomic-nervous system (ANS) indices, particularly with the variation of the skin conductance level. Conclusions: Despite this clear association, there is still a considerable amount of unexplained variability that raises the need for more fine-grained analysis to be implemented in future research in this field.

scholarly journals Quantitative assessment of autonomic nervous system responses induced by graded training workloads in healthy elderly, through indices obtained from heart rate variability analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Fenici ◽  
M Picerni ◽  
D Brisinda
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Quantitative Assessment ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Hrv Analysis

Abstract Background Quantitative assessment of individual body adaptability to physical training performed with the purposes of health maintenance is particularly necessary in the elderly age, to avoid the risk of overstrain induced by inappropriate exercises workload and physical stress. For that purpose, heart rate monitors and heart rate variability (HRV) analysis are nowadays commercially available. However, their reliability to guide individualized fitness training in elderly people needs to be tested, knowing that users might not have medical education. Objective To preliminary quantify autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses to graded physical effort and recovery in healthy elderly basing on the parasympathetic nervous system (PNSi), the sympathetic nervous system (SNSi) and the stress (STRi) indices, derived by short-term and time-varying HRV analysis. Methods ECG of a 75 healthy male subject was monitored, from April to November 2020, during three times/week training sessions with a professional bike–ergometer. Each session consisted of 10 minutes baseline rest, 5 minutes warm-up, 30 minutes work and 10 minutes recovery. According to age, the training workload was graded from low (65–75 watt/min), to moderate (75–85 watt/min), semi-intensive (85–95 watt/min) and intensive (95–110 watt/min). For this pilot study, ECG data of only 40 training sessions (10 sessions for each workload to evaluate reproducibility) were analyzed with Kubios Premium software (version 3.4.1), in the time (TD) and frequency (FD) domains, with nonlinear (NL) methods and with time-varying (TV) algorithms. Short-time HRV was calculated from 2-minutes intervals. The PNSi, SNSi and STRi induced by each workload were averaged and compared. Results Average values of PNSi, SNSi and STRi were significantly different (p&lt;0.05) among training sessions carried out with different workloads (Table 1A) and among measurements obtained at rest, at every 5 minutes step of each 30 minutes training session, and at 1 and 5 minutes of recovery (Table 1B). Interestingly, the correlation between SNSi and STRi was strictly linear (R= 0,98), whereas that between PNSi and STRi was better fitted by a cubic function (R=0,82 with cubic vs 0.68 with linear function), when evaluated either as a function of the sessions' workloads (Figure 1A), or of four time-intervals of each training session (Figure 1B). PNSi and SNSi were inversely correlated, with cross-point at about 15 minutes of training and 75 watt/min workload. Conclusions The calculation of PNSi, SNSi and STRi from HRV analysis is an efficient method for quick and simplified quantitative assessment of dynamic ASN adaptation to effort-induced stress from HRV analysis. If confirmed, the method may be useful for safer and even remote monitoring of training/rehabilitation in elderly. However, more detailed evaluation of spectral and NL parameters may be necessary to interpret more complex patterns of abnormal cases. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Table 1 Figure 1

scholarly journals Autonomic Nervous System Function in Infants With Transposition of the Great Arteries

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tondi M. Harrison ◽  
Roger L. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Heart Defects ◽  
Newborn Infants ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Healthy Infants ◽  
Before And After ◽  
High Risk Infants

The ability to maintain and respond to challenges to homeostasis is primarily a function of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). In infants with complex congenital heart defects this ability may be impaired. This study described change in ANS function before and after surgical correction in infants with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and in healthy infants. A total of 15 newborn infants with TGA were matched with 16 healthy infants on age, gender, and feeding type. The ANS function was measured using heart rate variability (HRV). Data were collected preoperatively in the 1st week of life and postoperatively before, during, and after feeding at 2 weeks and 2 months of age. Infants with TGA demonstrated significantly lower high-frequency and low-frequency HRV preoperatively ( p < .001) when compared with healthy infants. At 2 weeks, infants with TGA were less likely than healthy infants to demonstrate adaptive changes in high-frequency HRV during feeding (Wald Z = 2.002, p = .045), and at 2 months, 40% of TGA infants exhibited delayed postfeeding recovery. Further research is needed to more thoroughly describe mechanisms of a physiologically adaptive response to feeding and to develop nursing interventions supportive of these high-risk infants.

scholarly journals Modulation of Body Representation Impacts on Efferent Autonomic Activity

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1104-1116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco D'Alonzo ◽  
Alessandro Mioli ◽  
Domenico Formica ◽  
Giovanni Di Pino
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Skin Conductance Response ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Body Representation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Hand Position ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Autonomic Nervous

The afferent branch of the autonomic nervous system contributes with interoception to the multimodal sensory correlation continuously needed to update our representation of the body. To test whether the modulation of body representation would have an impact on the efferent branch of the autonomic nervous system, nonspecific skin conductance has been measured in three rubber hand illusion (RHI) experiments, controlled with asynchronous brush-stroking and incongruent fake hand position. Nonspecific skin conductance standard deviation (SCSD) computed along the whole 90 sec of stroking was found to be increased by the illusion and to correlate with all the typical measures of embodiment. Computing SCSD in shorter time windows strongly enhanced the difference between illusion and controls. The highest difference was found in the 10–55 sec window, being the 14–34 sec window as the most informative one. The higher correlations with the validated measures of embodiment (all but the proprioceptive drift) were found for time windows ranging between 35 and 65 sec. The SCSD was no longer significantly higher when the RHI was repeated twice (two trials each iteration), but it was still significantly higher in synchronous stroking even when considering only the second trial. However, after the first iteration of the RHI paradigm, the effect of the embodiment on nonspecific skin conductance response results to be attenuated, suggesting that novelty in presentation of the RHI can contribute to the effect on nonspecific skin conductance response. Results candidate SCSD as a noninvasive, cheap, easy, and objective measure of embodiment, especially sensible to onset and strength of the illusion. Alike the already known enhanced autonomic reaction to a threatening, SCSD does not interfere with the collection of other behavioral measures. Correlations and their dynamics, presence of the effect in the second presentation of the setup but relative low robustness against multiple repetition, suggest that the increased fluctuations of skin conductance caught by SCSD are not just the effect of different presented sensory stimuli but more likely a stronger arousal response to the novelty of the updated perceptual status.

scholarly journals A method to quantify autonomic nervous system function in healthy, able-bodied individuals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shubham Debnath ◽  
Todd J. Levy ◽  
Mayer Bellehsen ◽  
Rebecca M. Schwartz ◽  
Douglas P. Barnaby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Pupil Diameter ◽  
Electrodermal Activity ◽  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Healthy Population ◽  
Individual Response ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Organ Systems

AbstractThe autonomic nervous system (ANS), which maintains physiological homeostasis in various organ systems via parasympathetic and sympathetic branches, is altered in common diffuse and focal conditions. Sensitive, quantitative biomarkers could detect changes in ANS function, first here in healthy participants and eventually in patients displaying dysautonomia. This framework combines controlled autonomic testing with feature extraction from physiological responses. Twenty-one individuals were assessed in two morning and two afternoon sessions over two weeks. Each session included five standard clinical tests probing autonomic function: squat test, cold pressor test, diving reflex test, deep breathing, and Valsalva maneuver. Noninvasive sensors captured continuous electrocardiography, blood pressure, breathing, electrodermal activity, and pupil diameter. Heart rate, heart rate variability, mean arterial pressure, electrodermal activity, and pupil diameter responses to the perturbations were extracted, and averages across participants were computed. A template matching algorithm calculated scaling and stretching features that optimally fit the average to an individual response. These features were grouped based on test and modality to derive sympathetic and parasympathetic indices for this healthy population. A significant positive correlation (p = 0.000377) was found between sympathetic amplitude response and body mass index. Additionally, longer duration and larger amplitude sympathetic and longer duration parasympathetic responses occurred in afternoon testing sessions; larger amplitude parasympathetic responses occurred in morning sessions. These results demonstrate the robustness and sensitivity of an algorithmic approach to extract multimodal responses from standard tests. This novel method of quantifying ANS function can be used for early diagnosis, measurement of disease progression, or treatment evaluation.

scholarly journals Heart Rate Variability and Electrodermal Activity as Noninvasive Indices of Sympathovagal Balance in Response to Stress

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzana Visnovcova ◽  
A. Calkovska ◽  
I. Tonhajzerova
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Mental Stress ◽  
Electrodermal Activity ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Sympathovagal Balance ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Response To Stress

Abstract The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a principal regulatory system for maintaining homeostasis, adaptability and physiological flexibility of the organism at rest as well as in response to stress. In the aspect of autonomic regulatory inputs on the cardiovascular system, recent research is focused on the study of exaggerated/diminished cardiovascular reactivity in response to mental stress as a risk factor for health complications, e.g. hypertension. Thus, the analysis of biological signals reflecting a physiological shift in sympathovagal balance during stress in the manner of vagal withdrawal associated with sympathetic overactivity is important. The heart rate variability, i.e. “beat-to-beat” oscillations of heart rate around its mean value, reflects mainly complex neurocardiac parasympathetic control. The electrodermal activity could represent “antagonistic” sympathetic activity, the so-called “sympathetic arousal” in response to stress. The detailed study of the physiological parameters under various stressful stimuli and in recovery phase using traditional and novel mathematical analyses could reveal discrete alterations in sympathovagal balance. This article summarizes the importance of heart rate variability and electrodermal activity assessment as the potential noninvasive indices indicating autonomic nervous system activity in response to mental stress.

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