Persistence of sympathetic spectral component of heart rate variability was associated with neurological recovery in severe head injury. Case report.
OBJECTIVE
To report a case of a patient affected by severe head injury where sympathetic and parasympathetic activity was evaluated by measurements of spectral analysis of heart rate variability, in serial determinations. The sympathetic component of the power spectrum never disappeared, despite signs of brain stem damage.


METHODS
Intensive Therapy Unit of a University Hospital (J. Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England).


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Electrocardiogram, 256 R-R intervals for each step and respiration obtained by impedance plethysmography. The signals were recorded on FM tape and then digitized off-line by an analogic-to-digital converter. A program processed the signals identifying the peak of each R wave and obtaining the R-R interval (tachogram) and the Power Spectrum by Fourier transformation and autoregressive analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Persistence of sympathetic activity of Heart Rate Variability Power Spectrum indirectly reflected the integrity of the vasomotor centres allocated in the brain stem and was associated with good outcome.
Petrucci
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Servizio di Anestesia e Rianimazione, Azienda USSL 21, Mantova.
D000328:Adult; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*