Development and evaluation of two automated methods for quantifying human muscle sympathetic nerve activity

• Published in: Computers in biology and medicine Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 221 - 235
• Main Authors: Rothman, J.L.S., Easty, A.C., Frecker, R.C., Floras, J.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1991; New York, NY Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Action Potentials - physiology; Algorithms; Autonomic nervous system; Baroreceptor reflex; Biological and medical sciences; Digital signal processing; Diseases of the skin. Cosmetics; Electromyography; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Microneurography; Muscles - innervation; Peroneal Nerve - physiology; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Reference Values; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Software Design; Supine Position; Sympathetic nerve activity; Sympathetic Nervous System - physiology; Baroreceptor reflex; Microneurography; Autonomic nervous system; Humans; Sympathetic nerve activity; Digital signal processing; Human; Computer science; Neuromuscular diseases; Technique; Computer aid
• ISSN: 0010-4825; 1879-0534
• DOI: 10.1016/0010-4825(91)90004-S

The microneurographic technique of directly recording muscle sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) in conscious humans was developed over 20 yr ago, but analysis and quantification of the resultant mean voltage neurogram has been largely by visual inspection by a trained observer. Two computer-assisted methods were developed to quantitate these bursts of efferent activity: peak detection, and ECG R-wave-triggered burst averaging. Peak detection was optimized using statistical techniques; burst averaging was compared to both the manual technique and to the peak detection method. Burst averaging was found to be the superior method because of its speed, consistency, and objectivity.