Gain and coherence estimates between respiration and heart-rate: Differences between inspiration and expiration

AbstractThe interaction of respiration and heart-rate variability (HRV), leading to respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and, in the inverse direction, cardioventilatory coupling has been subject of much study and controversy. A parametric linear feedback model can be used to study these interactions. In order to investigate differences between inspiratory and expiratory periods, we propose that models are estimated separately for each period, by finding least mean square estimates only over the desired signal segments. This approach was tested in simulated data and heart-rate and respiratory air flow signals recorded from 25 young healthy adults (13 men and 12 women), at rest, breathing spontaneously through a face mask for 5min. The results show significant differences (p