Phase‐ and frequency coordination of cardiac and respiratory function

Abstract ECG and respiration (by nose thermistor sensor) were measured in 160 healthy volunteers under resting conditions. Frequency analysis allowed to distinguish fast (center frequency ≈ 0,25 Hertz), medium (center frequency ≈ 0,1 Hertz) and slow waves (center frequency = 0,05 Hertz) of heart rate variability. The fast waves are related to respiratory sinus arrhythmia, which mirrors parasympathetic tone and the slow waves are mainly connected with the sympathetic nervous activities, whereas medium waves are influenced by both the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system. Simultaneously we calculated the heart ‐ respiration coupling by recording a total of ≈ 18.000 respiratory cycles as well as the time from the R‐peak to the onset of the next inspiration. Three distinct peaks of coincidence are related to afferents discharging in the isometric systolic phase (peak I ), to the baroreceptor afferents in the great arterial vessels (peak 2) and afferents excited in the relaxation or diastolic fil...