ABSTRACT
Background: During reproductive life, Women undergo many types of behavioural and hormonal changes, which influence various functions of body. ANS provides physiological adaptive background for these changes. The main aim of this study is to carry out autonomic function tests during various phases of menstrual cycle. Method: Different Methods were used to evaluate sympathetic and Parasympathetic activity. This study was carried out in two different phases of menstrual cycle viz. premenstrual phase (late luteal phase-LL) and post menstrual phase (early follicular phase –EF). Results: The autonomic function tests and heart rate variables were recorded and data was tabulated for Statistical evaluation with student paired “t” test. P 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The tests for sympathetic activity were compared during pre and post menstrual phases. It was observed that pulse rate, blood pressure and cold pressor test were statistically more significant (p<0.01), while orthostatic variation in arterial blood pressure was statistically significant (p<0.05) in premenstrual phase as compared to post menstrual phase of menstrual cycle. For parasympathetic activity it was observed that heart rate response, expiratory: inspiratory ratio and valsalva ratio were statistically not significant (p>0.05) in both pre and post menstrual phases of menstrual cycle. Conclusion: In this study the responses to various sympathetic tests were significantly altered in premenstrual phase as compare to that of postmenstrual phase, reflecting the significant increase in the sympathetic activity. These changes may be due to gonadal steroids imbalance during post menstrual phase (EF) and premenstrual phase (LL) of menstrual cycle which in turn affects HPA axis and ANS significantly. Significant increased sympathetic activity responses indicate an augmented stress system.
ABSTRACT
Background: HRV can be considered a relatively simple, noninvasive and sensitive method for studying autonomic modulation, purpose of the present study was to determine whether readily measured blood pressure (BP) indices and responses to autonomic reflex tests could be used as surrogates of short-term heart rate variability. Different Methods were used to evaluate sympathetic and Parasympathetic activity. Results: The autonomic function tests and heart rate variables were recorded and data was tabulated for Statistical evaluation. A two tailed P value less than or equal to 0.05 (5%) were considered statistically significant. Heart Rate Variability in Male Mean R-R interval and SDNN of time domain analysis were highly significant on comparing supine to standing (P<0.001),Similarly LF, HF power, Total Power and LFnu of frequency domain analysis were highly significant on comparing supine to standing (P<0.001) and in Females also it is same. Conclusion : Considering the results our data indicate a decrease in HRV that seems to be expressions of a reduction in autonomic modulation in postural change from supine to standing erect both in male and female subjects. The findings suggestive of a shift in cardiac autonomic regulation towards sympathetic activation in response to real life stressors which also includes the decrease in parasympathetic modulation and no significant correlation between readily measured blood pressure indices to heart rate variables in both male and female groups, we suggest that mean heart rate, SBP, DBP and RPP cannot be used as surrogates of HRV. However, observations need to be made in healthy subjects belonging to various age groups and in patients with conditions known to be associated with autonomic deregulation.