Heart Rate and Heart-Rate Variability: An Attempt to Clarify

Abstract

2 experiments were conducted to investigate a possible relationship of heart rate among and within individuals and to investigate the relationship between HR level and two temporal measures of HR variability. In Exp. 1 records for 18 normal male volunteers yielded a linear relationship between the autocorrelation and HR level which was confirmed by the data collected in Exp. 2, in which repeated measurements from 1 S were taken. Another temporal measure of variability was suggested (CVT) which combined this predictable relationship between Ra and MHR. The autocorrelation had no consistent significant association with any noted behavior or training in Exp. 2, but CVT did seem to relate to behavior. The data do not support the hypothesis that resting heart rate and resting heart-rate variability ( Ra or CVT) are reliable measures of “arousal” by themselves, rather that both are highly affected by conditions usually uncontrolled in experiments. The CVT did not significantly relate to EEG measures of arousal, taken during the wakeful state in Exp. 1.

Two Measures of E. E. G. Variability

“…The CVT calculated on wakeful" R" to" R" intervals correlated highly with various modes of scoring cardiac lability . While the wakeful CVT of the EKG has shown little or no relationship with EEG measures (Burdick & Scarbrough, 1968) both the CVT of the EKG and the CVT of the integrated EEG have produced interesting data on sleep behavior (Goldstein, Burdick & Laszlo, in press). It is in the exploration of sleeping behavior that the psychologist becomes increasingly dependent on objective electronic measurements to explore this deceptively" passive" state of consciousness.…”

A Field Study of Repetitive Manual Work in Relation to Accidents at the Work Place

“…The data resulting from this were the times taken for each part of the work cycle. Their variability was estimated by a form of auto-correlation, Mean Square Successive Difference (Von Neuman, Kent, Bellinson & Hart, 1941) and a measure derived from this, the Coefficient of Variation over Time (CVT) (see Burdick & Scarbrough, 1968). This measure expresses the difference between one movement and the preceding one as a percentage ratio.…”

Physical tests in the selection of electrical lineman depending on the cardiac rhythm when working at height for the first time

“…It consisted in that he performs push-ups to the point of exhaustion, then the data obtained of cardiac pulse in the post-stress stage are unstable and unpredictable. [3] In other experiment shows that the pulse and heart rate varies, depending on whether the person is asleep or awake. Four people were employed in good health.…”