Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Effect of a Meal and Water Loading on Heart Rate Variability in Children with Functional Dyspepsia

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Alteration in autonomic function has been implicated as a possible pathophysiologic mechanism in functional dyspepsia (FD) in adults.

Methods

This was a two-part study. For the first part of the study, nine children with FD and 28 controls underwent heart rate variability (HRV) analysis for 30 min baseline and for 60 min following a test meal. For the second part of the study, eight children with FD and 26 controls underwent HRV analysis for 30 min baseline and for 60 min following rapid water loading. HRV analysis yielded measures for power in the high frequency (HF) band (vagal activity), power in the low frequency (LF) band (mainly sympathetic activity), and LF/HF (sympathovagal balance).

Results

HRV parameters did not differ between FD patients and controls in either baseline period or following water loading. Following the meal, HF was higher and LF and LF/HF were lower in FD patients as compared to controls. Baseline LF/HF was positively correlated with the water load volume in controls and negatively correlated with the water load volume in FD patients.

Conclusion

FD in children is associated with an abnormal autonomic response best demonstrated following a meal. The relationship between baseline sympathovagal balance and water load volume in FD patients is distinctly different from the relationship in control children.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Heitkemper M, Jarrett M, Cain KC, et al. Autonomic nervous system function in women with irritable bowel syndrome. Dig Dis Sci. 2001;46:1276–1284.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Thompson JJ, Elsenbruch S, Harnish MJ, Orr WC. Autonomic functioning during REM sleep differentiates IBS symptom subgroups. Am J Gastroenterol. 2002;97:3147–3152.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Cain KC, Jarrett ME, Burr RL, Hertig VL, Heitkemper MM. Heart rate variability is related to pain severity and predominant bowel pattern in women with irritable bowel syndrome. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2007;19:110–118.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Mazur M, Furgala A, Jablonski K, et al. Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system activity is responsible fro gastric myoelectric disturbances in the irritable bowel syndrome patients. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2007;58(Suppl. 3):131–139.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Burr RL, Heitkemper M, Jarrett M, Cain KC. Comparison of autonomic nervous system indices based on abdominal pain reports in women with irritable bowel syndrome. Biol Res Nurs. 2000;2:97–106.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Muth ER, Koch KL, Stern RM. Significance of autonomic nervous activity in functional dyspepsia. Dig Dis Sci. 2000;45:854–863.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Haug TT, Svebak S, Hausken T, Wilhelmsen I, Berstad A, Ursin H. Low vagal activity as mediating mechanism for the relationship between personality factors and gastric symptoms in functional dyspepsia. Psychosomatic Med. 1994;56:181–186.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hausken T, Svebak S, Wilhelmsen I, et al. Low vagal tone and antral dysmotility in patients with functional dyspepsia. Psychosomatic Med. 1993;55:12–22.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lorena SL, Figueiredo MJ, Almeida JR, Mesquita MA. Autonomic function in patients with functional dyspepsia assessed by 24-hour heart rate variability. Dig Dis Sci. 2002;47:27–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Park DI, Rhee PL, Kim YH, et al. Role of autonomic dysfunction in patients with functional dyspepsia. Dig Liver Dis. 2001;33:464–471.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Berntson GG, Bigger JT, Eckberg DL, et al. Heart rate variability: origins, methods, and interpretive caveats. Psychophysiology. 1997;34:623–648.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Vila J, Palacios F, Presedo J, Fernández-Delgado M, Felix P, Barro S. Time-frequency analysis of heart-rate variability. IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag. 1997;16:119–126.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Markad VK, Fallen EL. Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability: a non-invasive signature of cardiac autonomic function. Crit Rev Biomed Eng. 1993;21:245–311.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Pagani M, Lombardi F, Guzzetti S, et al. Power spectral analysis of heart rate and arterial pressure variabilities as a marker of sympatho-vagal interaction in man and conscious dog. Circ Res. 1986;59:178–193.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Akselrod S, Gordon D, Ubel FA, et al. Power spectral analysis of heart rate fluctuations: a quantitative probe of beat-to-beat cardiovascular control. Science. 1981;213:220–222.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Liu S, Peng S, Hou X, Ke M, Chen JDZ. Transcutaneous electroacupuncture improves dyspeptic symptoms and increases high frequency heart rate variability in patients with functional dyspepsia. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2008;20:1204–1211.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Jones MP, Hoffman S, Shah D, et al. The water load test: observations from healthy controls and patients with functional dyspepsia. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2003;284:G896–G904.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Tjossetti C, Salvioli B, Stranghellini V, et al. Reproducibility of a water load test in healthy subjects, symptom profile compared to patients with functional dyspepsia. Gastroenterology. 1999;116:A336.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sood MR, Schwankovsky LM, Rowhani A, et al. Water load test in children. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2002;35:199–201.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Jones MP, Roth LM, Crowell MD. Symptom reporting by functional dyspeptics during the water load test. Am J Gastroenterol. 2005;100:1334–1339.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Montano-Loza A, Schmulson M, Zepeda-Gomez S, et al. Maximum tolerated volume in drinking tests with water and a nutritional beverage for the diagnosis of functional dyspepsia. World J Gastroenterol. 2005;11:3122–3126.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Schurman JV, Friesen CA, Andre L, et al. Diagnostic utility of the water load test in children with chronic abdominal pain. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2007;44:51–57.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Rasquin A, DiLorenzo C, Forbes D, et al. Childhood functional gastrointestinal disorders: child/adolescent. Gastroenterology. 2006;130:1527–1537.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Wang ZS, Chen JDZ. Robust ECG R-R wave detection using evolutionary-programming-based fuzzy inference system (EPFIS) and application to assessing brain-gut interaction. IEE Proc Sci Meas Technol. 2000;147:351–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Elsenbruch S, Wang Z, Orr WC, Chen JDZ. Time-frequency analysis of heart rate variability using short-time Fourier analysis. Physiol Meas. 2000;21:229–240.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Lu C-L, Zou X, Orr WC, Chen JDZ. Postprandial changes of sympathovagal balance measured by heart rate variability. Dig Dis Sci. 1999;44:857–861.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Yin J, Levanon D, Chen JDZ. Inhibitory effects of stress on post prandial gastric myoelectric activity and vagal tone in healthy subjects. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2004;16:737–744.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Chen CL, Lin HH, Orr WC, Yang CCH, Kuo TBJ. Transfer function analysis of heart rate variability in response to water intake: correlation with gastric myoelectrical activity. J Appl Physiol. 2004;96:2226–2230.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Gastroenterology, The Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics, 2401 Gillham Rd., Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA

    Craig A. Friesen & Linda Andre

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA

    Zhiyue Lin & Richard W. McCallum

  3. Section of Developmental and Behavioral Sciences, The Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Jennifer V. Schurman

Authors
  1. Craig A. Friesen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhiyue Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jennifer V. Schurman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Linda Andre
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Richard W. McCallum
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Craig A. Friesen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Friesen, C.A., Lin, Z., Schurman, J.V. et al. The Effect of a Meal and Water Loading on Heart Rate Variability in Children with Functional Dyspepsia. Dig Dis Sci 55, 2283–2287 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-009-1027-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-009-1027-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation