Action of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system on cardiovascular dynamics revealed by blocking drugs

The effect of the drugs atropine (a parasympathetic blocker) and propranolol (a sympathetic blocker) is investigated. In the experiment, the subjects were measured under an experimental protocol that used saline controls, with both spontaneous and paced breathing as well as apnea. The recorded data...

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Published in2014 8th Conference of the European Study Group on Cardiovascular Oscillations (ESGCO) pp. 197 - 198
Main Authors Clemson, Philip T., Hoag, Jeffrey B., Stefanovska, Aneta, Eckberg, Dwain L.
Format Conference Proceeding
LanguageEnglish
Published IEEE 01.05.2014
Subjects
Coherence
Couplings
Oscillators
Protocols
Resonant frequency
Time-frequency analysis
Wavelet transforms
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Summary:The effect of the drugs atropine (a parasympathetic blocker) and propranolol (a sympathetic blocker) is investigated. In the experiment, the subjects were measured under an experimental protocol that used saline controls, with both spontaneous and paced breathing as well as apnea. The recorded data included an electrocardiogram, end tidal CO 2 , blood pressure and a direct measurement of the muscle sympathetic nerve activity. The signals were analysed using time-frequency methods and an information theory approach, revealing information about the change in coupling and coherence that has not previously been studied. The results show that atropine strongly reduces the power in the signals and also removes the coupling and coherence between cardiovascular oscillations. The effects occur across a wide range of frequencies and provide insight into the neurophysiological mechanisms involved in the regulation of the cardiovascular system.
DOI:10.1109/ESGCO.2014.6847587