DEEP FLOW: an embodied materiality of dance, technology, and bodily experience

In this research article, I argue that Deep Flow is an embodied materiality that may be experienced by exploring performative phenomenologies, entwining two different sets of research practice: phenomenological methodologies and artistic practice. In Deep Flow the practitioner entangles phenomenological methodologies, methods and research practices performatively such as embodied dance practice, the felt senses, drawings, verbal feedback and their analyses in relation to biometric data, from an embodied heart rate monitor. By looking inwardly, the practitioner experiences embodied phenomena and reveals these experiences in artistic practices in relation to the worlding in which they find themselves. These outcomes are considered as being differing materialities, flowing and converging through relational and phenomenological practice, Deep Flow and through this they become embodied by the practitioner, where new forms of embodied materialities emerge. I argue that in my practice, this is an experiential state, Deep Flow, where all human and non-human elements of the dance practice flow and course through the practitioner as an embodied materiality.

Short-term Heart Rate Variability Analysis in Healthy Dogs of Different Ages

Background: The modulation of heart rate by autonomic nervous system may be evaluated by the heart rate variability (HRV), which illustrates the fluctuations between RR intervals. To evaluate this analysis, the intervals between 2 QRS complexes are measured. In general, high HRV values are expected in healthy individuals; otherwise, low values are indicative of organism dysfunction. Studies conducted in healthy humans show that HRV suffers reduction with ageing and that there is autonomic immaturity in neonates. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristic pattern of cardiac autonomic behavior in healthy dogs in different age groups through short-term HRV analysis.Materials, Methods & Results: A total of 87 healthy dogs were studied. HRV was analyzed in time and frequency domain, using Holter and heart rate monitor. It was observed that puppies (below one year old) presented a lower parasympathetic predominance and, consequently, lower HRV values on time domain (SDNN, PNN50% e RMSSD) compared to the other 2 groups and on frequency domain (LF, HF and LF/HF) compared to the adult animals group (between 1 and 7-year-old), which presented higher HRV values when compared to the other groups. Elderly dogs (over 8-year-old) exhibited a natural tendency to decrease cardiac parasympathetic HRV indexes.Discussion: The use of the HRV method as a prognostic index and as an arrhythmogenic marker for various canine heart diseases presents interesting perspectives. However, before it may be employed for these purposes, a better understanding should be established regarding the physiological behavior of autonomic cardiac modulation in different age groups to serve as a basis for future analyses. This study observed that puppies presented higher values for HR and, therefore, shorter RR intervals than the other groups (adult and elderly dogs), what was observed on Holter and heart rate monitor methods (HRM). There were significant differences between puppies and the other 2 groups (adults and elderly) for all time-domain variables using both methods (Holter and HRM methods). SDNN was significantly lower in puppies compared to adults and elderly dogs. In addition, both RMSSD and PNN50%, which were more reliable over shorter periods of time, also presented means and medians that were significantly lower in puppies. Regarding frequency-domain HRV parameters observed on Holter method, these indexes were decreased on the elderly group compared to adult dogs, which is a possible effect of aging. Also, puppies revealed lower frequency-domain HRV parameters on both methods when compared to adult dogs. The influence of age on HRV is possibly related to the stage of development of an individual, starting at conception up to the maturity in relation to the mechanisms that cause variations in HR. There are studies in humans that suggest a gradual increase in parasympathetic activity during childhood, followed by a steady decrease as aging occur. The present study observed the same pattern in dogs. The balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic systems is influenced by age in dogs, which alters HRV values in the short-term. The HRV method´s analysis is relatively simple and non-invasive for assessing cardiac autonomic function; also, it is widely used in human medicine as a risk measure for sudden cardiac death. The 24-hour HRV analysis is highly challenging, as it is time-consuming, expensive, delays diagnosis, and has a large number of artifacts; in this way, standards for its short-term analysis were developed. Keywords: cardiology, autonomic nervous system, heart rate monitor, Holter.

Effects of unpleasant emotional exposure on the state anxiety and heart rate in healthy women: a pilot study

Considering that exposure to unpleasant pictures taken from the International Affective Pictures System (IAPS) has a more significant impact on anxiety than exposure to pleasant and neutral pictures, we investigated changes in state anxiety levels and heart rate responses in healthy women following exposure to three blocks of unpleasant pictures from the IAPS. Thirty-seven healthy women visited the lab three times, separated by a gap of 24–72 hours. Anxiety levels were assessed using the State Anxiety Inventory before and after participants viewed the blocks of unpleasant IAPS pictures, while the heart rate was continuously monitored throughout each session by a heart rate monitor. We found extreme evidence (BF10 = 7.53*108) for the changes in the participants’ state anxiety after viewing IAPS unpleasant pictures, although there was ambiguous evidence (BF01 = 2.642) favoring similar changes in state anxiety and ratings of pleasure (BF01 = 1.567), arousal (BF01 = 2.609), and dominance (BF01 = 1.954) between the three blocks of unpleasant pictures used. Moreover, we found moderate evidence (BF01 = 7.449) favoring similar mean heart rates between the three blocks of unpleasant pictures. These findings reveal that exposure to unpleasant pictures can act as an anxiogenic stimulus used to induce experimental anxiety.

Utilização de cardiofrequencímetros para mensuração da Variabilidade da Frequência Cardíaca no repouso: uma revisão de literatura

A Variabilidade da Frequência Cardíaca (VFC) é um método não-invasivo utilizado para estimar o controle autonômico cardíaco que pode ser mensurada através do eletrocardiograma (ECG), método padrão-ouro. Dispositivos portáteis que tragam maior praticidade e com menor custo que o ECG, como os cardiofrequencímetros, são uma alternativa mais conveniente para a mensuração da VFC na prática clínica, porém é necessário que seus resultados sejam validados em diferentes populações. Objetivo: Analisar os estudos realizados sobre a validade dos cardiofrequencímetros em comparação com o ECG para mensuração da VFC no repouso em diferentes populações. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma revisão de literatura onde foram utilizados estudos publicados na base de dados do Pubmed e Scielo, sem limite inferior da data de publicação até o ano de 2021. Foram utilizados os seguintes descritores nos idiomas inglês e português: "heart rate variability" ou "cardiac autonomic control" ou "Electrocardiography" ou "Heart Rate", sendo associados aos termos “heart rate monitor” e "reproducibility" ou “validity” ou “agreement”. Resultados e discussão: Foram encontrados 15 estudos que avaliaram a validade de diferentes modelos de cardiofrequencímetros para a mensuração da VFC no repouso, em comparação com o ECG, em diferentes populações (adultos saudáveis, atletas, idosos, crianças, adolescentes obesos, indivíduos com lesão medular e idosos), assim como sua confiabilidade no teste-reteste de alguns dispositivos. Conclusão: Os estudos demonstraram que os diferentes modelos de cardiofrequencímetro podem ser utilizados como uma alternativa ao ECG para a mensuração da VFC, mesmo em diferentes populações.

Heart Rate Monitor using Average of Two Fingertip Sensors with Graphical ECG Record

This project proposes the measurement of heart rate accurately using an average of two readings of two different fingertip sensors and feeding them to a microcontroller and record simultaneously the photoplethysmographic data, using which an ECG waveform is plotted. The earlier projects on this topic used only one fingertip sensor in calculating the heart rate. This lacked accuracy and thus, even if the projects were economical, they could not be used at small hospitals in rural areas and village clinics. Also, they lacked the feature of graphical ECG plot that may be extremely useful for diagnosis by the medical experts. Our project is based on obtaining the heart rate by averaging the readings of two fingertip sensors. The average is then fed to the microcontroller after proper signal conditioning, and then displayed on a LCD screen. The graph of electrical activity of the heart is displayed on a graphical LCD. Also, it features sending of SMS to family members via GSM module in case of an abnormal condition. The novelty in this project is increased accuracy.