A method to quantify autonomic nervous system function in healthy, able-bodied individuals
Abstract Background The autonomic nervous system (ANS) maintains physiological homeostasis in various organ systems via parasympathetic and sympathetic branches. ANS function is altered in common diffuse and focal conditions and heralds the beginning of environmental and disease stresses. Reliable,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Bioelectronic Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s42234-021-00075-7 |
| _version_ | 1818681911812292608 |
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| author | Shubham Debnath Todd J. Levy Mayer Bellehsen Rebecca M. Schwartz Douglas P. Barnaby Stavros Zanos Bruce T. Volpe Theodoros P. Zanos |
| author_facet | Shubham Debnath Todd J. Levy Mayer Bellehsen Rebecca M. Schwartz Douglas P. Barnaby Stavros Zanos Bruce T. Volpe Theodoros P. Zanos |
| author_sort | Shubham Debnath |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The autonomic nervous system (ANS) maintains physiological homeostasis in various organ systems via parasympathetic and sympathetic branches. ANS function is altered in common diffuse and focal conditions and heralds the beginning of environmental and disease stresses. Reliable, sensitive, and quantitative biomarkers, first defined in healthy participants, could discriminate among clinically useful changes in ANS function. This framework combines controlled autonomic testing with feature extraction during physiological responses. Methods 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. Results 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. Conclusions 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. Trial registration This study registered with Clinicaltrials.gov , identifier NCT04100486 . Registered September 24, 2019, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04100486 . |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:10:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7873f5f4ba864074ba533d93fb294170 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2332-8886 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:10:28Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bioelectronic Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-7873f5f4ba864074ba533d93fb2941702022-12-21T21:53:03ZengBMCBioelectronic Medicine2332-88862021-08-017111710.1186/s42234-021-00075-7A method to quantify autonomic nervous system function in healthy, able-bodied individualsShubham Debnath0Todd J. Levy1Mayer Bellehsen2Rebecca M. Schwartz3Douglas P. Barnaby4Stavros Zanos5Bruce T. Volpe6Theodoros P. Zanos7Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical ResearchInstitute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical ResearchDepartment of Psychiatry, Unified Behavioral Health Center and World Trade Center Health Program, Northwell HealthDepartment of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, Northwell Health, Feinstein Institutes for Medical ResearchNorthwell Health, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/NorthwellInstitute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical ResearchNorthwell Health, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/NorthwellInstitute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical ResearchAbstract Background The autonomic nervous system (ANS) maintains physiological homeostasis in various organ systems via parasympathetic and sympathetic branches. ANS function is altered in common diffuse and focal conditions and heralds the beginning of environmental and disease stresses. Reliable, sensitive, and quantitative biomarkers, first defined in healthy participants, could discriminate among clinically useful changes in ANS function. This framework combines controlled autonomic testing with feature extraction during physiological responses. Methods 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. Results 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. Conclusions 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. Trial registration This study registered with Clinicaltrials.gov , identifier NCT04100486 . Registered September 24, 2019, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04100486 .https://doi.org/10.1186/s42234-021-00075-7 |
| spellingShingle | Shubham Debnath Todd J. Levy Mayer Bellehsen Rebecca M. Schwartz Douglas P. Barnaby Stavros Zanos Bruce T. Volpe Theodoros P. Zanos A method to quantify autonomic nervous system function in healthy, able-bodied individuals Bioelectronic Medicine |
| title | A method to quantify autonomic nervous system function in healthy, able-bodied individuals |
| title_full | A method to quantify autonomic nervous system function in healthy, able-bodied individuals |
| title_fullStr | A method to quantify autonomic nervous system function in healthy, able-bodied individuals |
| title_full_unstemmed | A method to quantify autonomic nervous system function in healthy, able-bodied individuals |
| title_short | A method to quantify autonomic nervous system function in healthy, able-bodied individuals |
| title_sort | method to quantify autonomic nervous system function in healthy able bodied individuals |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s42234-021-00075-7 |
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