title: A new integrated instrumental approach to autonomic nervous system assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates involuntary body functions and is commonly evaluated by measuring reflex responses of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) to physiological and pharmacological stimuli. However, BP and HR values may not sufficient be to explain specific ANS events and other parameters like the electrocardiogram (ECG), BP waves, the respiratory rate and the electroencephalogram (EEG) are mandatory. Although ANS behaviour and its response to stimuli are well-known, their clinical evaluation is often based on individual medical training and experience. As a result, ANS laboratories have been customized, making it impossible to standardize procedures and share results with colleagues. The aim of our study was to build a powerful versatile instrument easy-to-use in clinical practice to standardize procedures and allow a cross-analysis of all the parameters of interest for ANS evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The new ANScovery System developed by neurologists and technicians is a two-step device: (1) integrating physiological information from different already existing commercial modules, making it possible to cross-analyse, store and share data; (2) standardizing procedures by an innovative tutor monitor able to guide the patient throughout ANS testing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The daily use of the new ANScovery System in clinical practice has proved it is a versatile easy to use instrument. Standardization of the manoeuvres and step-by-step guidance throughout the procedure avoid repetitions and allow intra and inter-patient data comparison.
authors.affiliation: Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine Department, University of Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: ivan.corazza@unibo.it.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Corazza
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; IRCCS, Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barletta
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; IRCCS, Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guaraldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; IRCCS, Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cecere
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; IRCCS, Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calandra-Buonaura
authors.affiliation: Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine Department, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Altini
authors.affiliation: Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine Department, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zannoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; IRCCS, Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cortelli
mesh_terms: D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017704:Baroreflex; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006334:Heart Function Tests / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018511:Systems Integration; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Cardiovascular reflexes; Integrated solution; Signal analysis