Novel Method for Assessment of Autonomic Function in Health and Disease: An Application to Epilepsy

Abstract

Objective: Impaired autonomic function has been associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with epilepsy. Autonomic dysfunction involving both sympathetic and parasympathetic systems has also been demonstrated in Epileptic disease using cardiovascular reflex tests based on heart rate to various stimuli. The aim of this study is to propose novel approach using Volterra kernel for system identification of nonlinear relationship between input stimulus (lowering and raising leg) and the output (HRV signals) using entrainment method based on lowering and raising leg of patients to assess in qualitative and quantitative methods the autonomic function of healthy subjects and patients with epilepsy disease and provide medical indices for assessment and neurorehabilitation of autonomic system in Epilepsy Methods: Forty eight patients with Epilepsy and forty eight of healthy subjects age matched controls participated in this study from July to