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The Smoothed Pseudo Wigner-Ville Distribution (SPWVD) is used for the time-frequency analysis of variations in RR interval. A novel technique to determine the smoothing window lengths is implemented, and a new heart rate variability (HRV) metric is developed, instantaneous center frequency variability (ICFV), which uses the time-frequency map generated by the SPWVD. The technique is then applied to 50 patients with unexplained falls and age > 60, undergoing head-upright tilt table testing (HUT). Eighteen of the patients were diagnosed with vasovagal syndrome. Attempts at syncope prediction using the new metric is an improvement on traditional techniques: an ICFV less than 0.07 Hz from 90 s to 180 s after tilt is predictive of a negative test (negative predictive value: 0.77). The comorbidity and autonomic degeneration present in elderly patients are thought to be responsible for lowering the negative predictive value.

Original publication

DOI

10.1109/iembs.2004.1403149

Type

Journal article

Journal

Conference proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference

Publication Date

01/2004

Volume

1

Pages

290 - 293

Addresses

Dept. of Eng. Sci., Oxford Univ., UK.