Cerebral hemispheric lateralization in cardiac autonomic control.
OBJECTIVE
To identify cerebral hemispheric lateralization in cardiac autonomic control.


METHODS
Eight patients undergoing an intracarotid amobarbital sodium test as a presurgical evaluation of temporal lobe epilepsy.


METHODS
Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability before and after intracarotid amobarbital injection.


METHODS
University hospital and research center.


METHODS
The changes in the ratio of low-frequency (LF) (sympathetic) to high-frequency (HF) (parasympathetic) power (LF/HF ratio), a measure of sympathovagal balance, after hemispheric inactivation.


RESULTS
The LF/HF ratio changed as follows: right preinactivation = 3.81 +/- 0.96, postinactivation = 3.40 +/- 1.23; left preinactivation = 2.74 +/- 0.49, postinactivation = 4.34 +/- 0.59 (mean +/- SEM). The test of interaction between laterality and inactivation using a 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was statistically significant (P = .001). The increased ratio on the left side (1.61 +/- 0.70) was statistically significant (P = .03), but the decrease on the right side (-0.40 +/- 0.46) was not (P < or = .70).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that there is a cerebral lateralization in cardiac autonomic control and that the right cerebral hemisphere predominantly modulates sympathetic activity. This study may help identify subgroups of patients with intracranial disease at high risk of cardiac complications.
Yoon
B W
BW
Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London.
Morillo
C A
CA
Cechetto
D F
DF
Hachinski
V
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000654:Amobarbital / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000187:drug effects; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D008297:Male
D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D000654:Amobarbital