Cardiac Cycle Timing Events are Reliably Measured Day-to-Day Using Digital Ballistocardiography

University College Dublin (2009) Proc Physiol Soc 15, PC202

Poster Communications: Cardiac Cycle Timing Events are Reliably Measured Day-to-Day Using Digital Ballistocardiography

J. Neary1, D. S. MacQuarrie1, E. F. Busse2,3

1. Kinesiology & Health Studies, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. 2. Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. 3. Cardiology, Regina General Hospital, Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

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Human myocardium has an amazing ability to contract reliably day-to-day as reflected by the timing events of the cardiac cycle. We measured the mechanical activity of the heart to record cardiac cycle timing events using digital ballistocardiography (dBG) in a group of healthy subjects (N=7; 3 females) with no known cardiovascular disease. We hypothesised that dBG would reliably record the timing events of the cardiac cycle from day-to-day. Subjects (mean ± SD, age= 31.7±10.5yrs) were assessed on three consecutive days (D1, D2, D3), at the same time of the day and under similar conditions in a quite laboratory setting. Each subject had the dBG-300 sensor attached to the skin using solid gel electrodes (single lead EKG). The dBG-300 sensor was placed over the sternum approximately 2cm above the xiphoid process. Thereafter, a 30-second ballistocardiogram was recorded and stored for later analysis. A total of 15 dBG waveforms (heart beats) were analysed for each subject per day and then averaged (Mean±SD). Results showed that average heart rate on D2 (58.4±11.7 bpm) was significantly (ANOVA) lower from D3 (60.2±7.7 bpm), but not D1 (59.1±8.2 bpm). When the dBG data was then corrected for heart rate there were no significant differences between any of the cardiac cycle timing intervals, including Q-wave (EKG) to: atrial systole (AS) (D1=-40.6±12.6msec; D2=-43.5±13.9msec; D3=-44.9±11.5msec); mitral valve close (MVC) (D1=42.6±9.8msec; D2=41.3±11.5msec; D3=42.2±8.1msec); aortic valve open (AVO) (D1=75.5±8.0msec; D2=75.4±9.6msec; D3=72.0±9.8msec); rapid ejection period (REP) (D1=145.1±10.9msec; D2=141.5±10.0msec; D3=138.7±5.7msec); aortic valve close (AVC) (D1=329.7±30.3msec; D2=333.3±28.9msec; D3=331.0±27.2msec); mitral valve open (MVO) (D1=433.7±31.3msec; D2=435.1±29.5msec; D3=436.2±16.0msec); early diastole (ED) (D1=518.9±33.2msec; D2=518.3±29.3msec; D3=519.2±23.6msec); and late diastole (LD) (D1=995.2±160.2msec; D2=1025.6±236.2msec; D3=996.1±139.6msec). The percent difference for these variables day-to-day was 9.7% (AS), 3.1% (MVC), 4.6% (AVO), 1.9% (REP), 1.1% (AVC), 0.6% (MVO), 0.2% (ED), and 5.7% (LD). These data suggest that: 1) day-to-day cardiac cycle mechanics in human subjects is reliable; and 2) digital ballistocardiography can be used to reliably monitor differences in cardiac cycle timing intervals from day-to-day.



Where applicable, experiments conform with Society ethical requirements.

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