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Frequency-domain analysis of cerebral autoregulation from spontaneous fluctuations in arterial blood pressure

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Abstract

The dynamic relationship between spontaneous fluctuations of arterial blood pressure (ABP) and corresponding changes in crebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) is studied in a population of 83 neonates. Static and dynamic methods are used to identify two subgroups showing either normal (group A, n=23) or impaired (group B, n=21) cerebral autoregulation. An FFT algorithm is used to estimate the coherence and transfer function between CBFV and ABP. The significance of the linear dependence between these two variables in demonstrated by mean values of squared coherence >0.50 for both groups in the frequency range 0.02–0.50 Hz. However, group A has significanlty smaller coherences than group B in the frequency ranges 0.02–0.10 Hz and 0.33–0.49 Hz. The phase response of group A is also significantly more positive than that of group B, with slopes of 9.3±1.05 and 1.80±1.2 rad Hz−1, respectively. The amplitude frequency response is also significantly smaller for group A in relation to group B for the frequency range 0.25–0.43 Hz. These results suggest that transfer function analysis may be able to identify different components of cerebral autoregulation and also provide a deeper understanding of recent findings by other investigators.

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Abbreviations

ν(n):

time-domain sequence of CBFV values

p(n) :

time-domain sequence of ABP values

V 0 :

mean value of CBFV

P 0 :

mean value of ABP

R 0 :

mean value of resistance-area product

V(f) :

Fourier transform ofv(n)

P(f) :

Fourier transform ofp(n)

G pv(f) :

cross-spectrum betweenV(f) andP(f)

G xx(f):

power spectrum of CBFV or ABP

γ2(f):

coherence function

H(f) :

transfer function

H R(f) :

real part ofH(f)

|H(f)|:

frequency response of transfer function (amplitude)

ϕ(f):

phase of frequency response

h pv(n):

impulse response ofv(n) with inputp(n)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Univeristy of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, LE1 5WW, Leicester, UK

    R. B. Panerai & D. H. Evans

  2. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Rosie Maternity Hospital, CB2 2SW, Cambridge, UK

    J. M. Rennie & A. W. R. Kelsall

Authors
  1. R. B. Panerai
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  2. J. M. Rennie
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  3. A. W. R. Kelsall
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  4. D. H. Evans
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Correspondence to R. B. Panerai.

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Panerai, R.B., Rennie, J.M., Kelsall, A.W.R. et al. Frequency-domain analysis of cerebral autoregulation from spontaneous fluctuations in arterial blood pressure. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 36, 315–322 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02522477

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02522477

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