title: Quantifying sympathetic nerve activity: problems, pitfalls and the need for standardization.
abstract: Since the first recording of sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) early last century, numerous methods for presentation of the resulting data have developed. In this paper, we discuss the common ways of describing SNA and their application to chronic recordings. Suggestions on assessing the quality of SNA are made, including the use of arterial pressure wave-triggered averages and nasopharyngeal stimuli. Calculation of the zero level of the SNA signal from recordings during ganglionic blockade, the average level between bursts and the minimum of arterial pressure wave-triggered averages are compared and shown to be equivalent. The use of normalization between zero and maximal SNA levels to allow comparison between groups is discussed. We recommend that measured microvolt levels of integrated SNA be presented (with the zero/noise level subtracted), along with burst amplitude and frequency information whenever possible. We propose that standardization of the quantifying/reporting of SNA will allow better comparison between disease models and between research groups and ultimately allow data to be more reflective of the human situation.
authors.affiliation: Circulatory Control Laboratory, Department of Physiology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. s.guild@auckland.ac.nz
authors.forename: Sarah-Jane
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Guild
authors.forename: Carolyn J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Fiona D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: McBryde
authors.forename: Bruce N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Van Vliet
authors.forename: Geoffrey A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Head
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Simon C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Malpas
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D011340:Problem Solving; D012015:Reference Standards; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*