Inventors:
David Gordon - Chicago IL
Solange Akselrod - Ramat-Ilan, IL
Richard J. Cohen - Newton Highlands MA
Jerome C. Tu - Monterey Park CA
Stephen K. Burns - Henniker NH
Victoria H. DeLeon - Arlington MA
Assignee:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge MA
International Classification:
A61B 502
Abstract:
Malfunctions of the cardiovascular control system may be diagnosed by examination of a patient's heart rate fluctuation power spectra. Particularly indicative of cardiovascular stress are: a level below about 0. 1 (beats/min. ). sup. 2 in the power spectrum of heart rate fluctuations at a frequency between about 0. 04 and about 0. 10 Hz; a marked increase to above about 10 (beats/min. ). sup. 2 in a peak in the heart rate fluctuation power spectrum between about 0. 04 to 0. 10 Hz; and a ratio of the area under a heart rate power spectrum peak at a frequency between about 0. 04 and 0. 10 Hz to the area under a peak in the respiratory heart rate fluctuation power spectrum centered at the mean respiratory rate about about 0. 10 Hz as having an absolute value less than 2. 0 for longer than or equal to about one hour or as having an absolute value greater than about 50.