Heart rate variability in individuals with thoracic spinal cord injury.
METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


OBJECTIVE
The main goal of our study was to explore the differences in heart rate variability (HRV) while sitting between able-bodied (AB) participants and paraplegic (P) individuals.


METHODS
The study was conducted in the Physical Therapy department and the Physical Education and Sports department of the University of Valencia and Vall d'Hebrón Hospital.


METHODS
To record the HRV, a 1000-Hz Suunto Oy t6 heart rate monitor was used. The data were analyzed in the temporal and frequency domains, and nonlinear analysis was performed as well.


RESULTS
We found significant differences between P and AB participants in SDNN: t(76)=2.81, P<0.01; root mean squared of the difference of successive RR intervals: t(76)=2.35, P<0.05; very low frequency: t(76)=2.97, P<0.01; low frequency: t(41.06)=2.33, P<0.05; total power of the spectrum: t(45.74)=2.57, P<0.05; SD1: t(76)=2.35, P<0.05; SD2: t(76)=2.82, P<0.01. Furthermore, there is a reduced variability in the P participants who adopted a sedentary lifestyle as could be observed in detrended fluctuation1 t(40)=-2.10; P<0.05.


CONCLUSIONS
Although individuals in the P group were more active in sports than the AB group, they had an altered HRV when compared with AB individuals. It could be important to develop more intense sports programs to improve cardiac vagal tone, which in turn produces a decrease in work and oxygen consumption of the heart.
Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
P
P
Serra-Añó
Spinal Cord Unit, University Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
L L
LL
Montesinos
Department of Sports, Faculty of Psychology, Education Sciences and Sport Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain.
J
J
Morales
Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
L
L
López-Bueno
Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
M
M
Gomis
Department of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
X
X
García-Massó
Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
L M
LM
González
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae