Methods Inf Med 2010; 49(05): 506-510
DOI: 10.3414/ME09-02-0036
Special Topic – Original Articles
Schattauer GmbH

Information Transfer through the Spontaneous Baroreflex in Healthy Humans

Authors

  • A. Porta

    1   Department of Technologies for Health, Galeazzi Orthopaedic Institute, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
  • A. M. Catai

    2   Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
  • A. C. M. Takahashi

    2   Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
  • V. Magagnin

    3   Galeazzi Orthopaedic Institute, Milan, Italy
  • T. Bassani

    3   Galeazzi Orthopaedic Institute, Milan, Italy
    4   Department of Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
  • E. Tobaldini

    5   Department of Clinical Sciences, Internal Medicine II, L. Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
  • N. Montano

    5   Department of Clinical Sciences, Internal Medicine II, L. Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Further Information

Publication History

received: 12 October 2009

accepted: 12 May 2009

Publication Date:
17 January 2018 (online)

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Summary

Objectives: This study assesses the information transfer through the spontaneous baroreflex (i.e. through the pathway linking systolic arterial pressure to heart period) during an experimental condition soliciting baroreflex (i.e. head-up tilt).

Methods: The information transfer was calculated as the conditional entropy of heart period given systolic arterial pressure using a mutual neighbor approach and uniform quantization. The information transfer was monitored as a function of the forecasting time k.

Results: We found that during head-up tilt the information transfer at k = 0 decreased but the rate of rise of information transfer as a function of k was faster.

Conclusions: We suggest that the characterization of the information transfer from systolic arterial pressure to heart period might complement the traditional characterization of the spontaneous baroreflex based on transfer function analysis.