Abstract
A study, using the four-electrode impedance plethysmograph system, was completed to evaluate simultaneous variations in conduction of upper and lower body segments relative to displacement of blood volume during change in body position. Measurements of cardiac output were compared with simultaneous results by dye dilution methods as a means of assessing the use of impedance techniques to determine cardiac output during tilt table studies. Two groups, 48 healthy private pilots and 22 patients with diabetes mellitus, were tested and the results were compared.
Control and test heart rate values were higher in the afternoon than in the morning for the same healthy subjects, and the blood pressure and heart rate changes paralleled the variations in stroke volume and calf blood pulse changes. The results in the patients with diabetes differed markedly in terms of the magnitude of the cardiovascular changes and indicated the value of the tilt table in assessing ‘fatigue’ in the circulatory system as a result of metabolic disturbance. The change from horizontal to 65 degree head up position in the patients with diabetes showed a marked fall in thoracic stroke and conductive volume in contrast to the minimal decrease observed in healthy subjects.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Abbreviations
- ϱ:
-
resistivity, ohm cm
- L :
-
length or distance between detecting electrodesE 1-E 2, cm
- E :
-
voltage, volts
- I :
-
current, amps
- R 0 :
-
segmental resistance between detecting electrodesE 1-E 2, ohms
- V 0 :
-
segmental volume equivalent to ϱ (L 2/R 0), ml
- ΔV :
-
change in volume, ml
- ΔR :
-
change in resistance, ohms
- Impedance plethysmography:
-
Measurement of change in volume due to variation in electrical resistance of a segment to a 50 or 120 kHz signal. The impedance at these frequencies is primarily resistive
- Four electrodes:
-
Two electrodes for introduction of the reference signal to the examined segment and two electrodes for detecting variation in conduction of the signal
- Conduction:
-
The reciprocal of resistance measured in mohs.
- Conductive volume:
-
The volume defined byV 0=ϱ(L 2/R 0) containing electrolytes including whole blood and plasma
References
Abelman, W. H. and Fareeduddin, K.: 1967, ‘Circulatory Response to Upright Tilt in Patients with Heart Disease’,Aerospace Med. 38, 60–65.
Allen, S. C., Taylor, C. L., and Hall, V. E.: 1945, ‘Study of Orthostatic Insufficiency by the Tiltboard Method’,Am. J. Physiol. 143, 11–20.
Allison, R. D.: 1963, ‘Impedance Plethysmograph Study’, PR-6-120-NAS4-892.
Allison, R. D.: 1966, Arterial-Venous Volume Gradients as Predictive Indices of Vascular Dynamics’, Chapter X,Instrumentation Methods for Predictive Medicine, I.S.A. Publ.
Allison, R. D.: 1966, ‘Stroke Volume, Cardiac Output and Impedance Measurements’,Proc. Eng. Med. Biol. 8, 53.
Allison, R. D.: 1966, ‘Segmental Pulmonary Blood Pulse Volume Changes During Hypoxia as Measured by an Impedance Plethysmograph’, inSymposium on Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University, pp 378–82.
Allison, R. D. and Bagno, S.: 1967, ‘A Self Balancing Impedance Plethysmograph for Studies During Weightlessness’,Proc. 20th Ann. Conference on Engineering in Med. and Biol., pp. 13.4.
Allison, R. D., Holmes, E. L., and Nyboer, J.: 1962, ‘Electrical Resistance Changes Occurring in the Thorax of Normal Man during Respiratory Activity’,Fed. Proc. 21, (2).
Allison, R. D., Holmes, E. L., and Nyboer, J.: 1964, ‘Volumetric Dynamics of Respiration as Measured by Electrical Impedance Plethysmography’,J. Appl. Physiol. 19, 166–73.
Allison, R. D.: 1960, ‘Flow Determinations Based on the End Systolic Gradient of Pulse Volume Curves Using the Electrical Impedance Plethysmograph’, Master's Thesis. Wayne State University College of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.
Asmussen, E., Christensen, E. H., and Nielsen, M.: 1940, ‘The Regulation of the Circulation in Different Postures’,Surgery 8, 604–07.
Bagno, S. and Liebman, F. M.: 1959, ‘Impedance Measurements of Living Tissue’,Electronics 62–63.
Beaconsfield, P. and Ginsberg, J.: 1955, ‘Effect of Change in Limb Posture on Peripheral Blood Flow’,Circulation Res. 3, 478–82.
Dermksian, G. and Lamb, L. E.: 1958, ‘Syncope in a Population of Healthy Young Adults: Incidence, Mechanisms, and Significance’,JAMA 168, 1200–07.
Ellis, M. M.: 1921, ‘Pulse Rate and Blood Pressure Responses of Men to Passive Postural Changes’,Am. J. Med. Sci. 161, 568–78.
Graveline, D. E., Balke, B., McKenzie, R. E., and Hartman, B.: 1961, ‘Psychobiologic Effects of Water-Immersion-Induced Hypodynamics’,Aerospace Med. 32, 387–400.
Graveline, D. E. and Balke, B.: 1961, ‘The Physiologic Effects of Hypodynamics Induced by Water Immersion’,Aerospace Med. 32, 271–72.
Graybiel, A. and Clark, B.: 1961, ‘Symptoms Resulting from Prolonged Immersion in Water; the Problem of Zero-gravity Asthesia’,Aerospace Med. 32, 189–272.
Graybiel, A. and McFarland, R. A.: 1941, ‘The Use of the Tilt-Table Test in Aviation Medicine’,J. Aviation Med. 12, 194–211.
Henry, F.: 1943, ‘Functional Test IV: Vasomotor Weakness and Postural Fainting’,Res. Quart. 14, 144–53.
Lagerof, H., Eliasch, H., Werko, L., and Berglund, E.: 1951, ‘Orthostatic Changes of the Pulmonary and Peripheral Circulation in Man’,Scand. J. Clin. Lab. In. 3, 85.
Kinnen, E., Kubicek, W., and Patterson, R.: 1964, ‘Thoracic Cage Impedance Measurements: Impedance Plethysmographic Determination of Cardiac Output (A Comparative Study)’, Techn. Docum. Rep. No. SAM-TDR-64-15, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas.
Nielsen, M., Herrington, L. P., and Winslow, A.: 1939, ‘The Effect of Posture on the Peripheral Circulation’,Am. J. Physiol. 127, 573.
Nyboer, J.: 1959,Electrical Impedance Plethysmography. Charles C. Thomas.
Schaeffer, K. E., Allison, R. D., Dougherty, J. H., Jr., Carey, C. R., Walker, R., Yost, F., and Parker, D.: 1968, ‘Pulmonary and Circulatory Adjustments Determining the Limits of Depths in Breathold Diving’,Science 162, 1020–23.
Shvartz, E.: 1968, ‘Reliability of Quantitative Tilt Table Data’,Aerospace Med. 39, 1094–97.
Vogt, F. B.: 1964, ‘An Objective Approach to the Analysis of Tilt Table Data’,Aerospace Med. 37, 1195–1204.
Vogt, F. B.: 1967, ‘Tilt Table and Plasma Volume Changes with Short Term Deconditioning Experiments’,Aerospace Med. 38, 564–68.
Vogt, F. B. and Johnson, P. C.: 1967, ‘Effectiveness of Extremity Cuffs on Leotards in Preventing or Controlling the Cardiovascular Deconditioning of Bed Rest’,Aerospace Med. 38, 702–07.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This project was supported by Contract NAS4-1321, NASA Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, U.S.A.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Allison, R.D., Lewis, C.E. & Rezek, T.W. Vascular dynamics. Space Life Sciences 2, 361–393 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00929294
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00929294