[Vibrational and coupling characteristics of psychophysiological function rhythms in patients with Fallot's tetralogy...

In 24 patients (aged from 5 to 21 years) afflicted with the tetralogy of Fallot and in 11 healthy subjects of the same age, the authors studied, using correlation and spectrum analysis, the coupling and the vibrational behaviour of modulated oscillations (in a rhythm of ca. 1 min.) of some psychophysiologic functions (heart and respiratory rates, blood pressure, sensomotor reaction times, short-time memory for ten-digit numbers) as expression of the central nervous coordination. The examinations were performed when the individuals were in the lying position, in the erect position and again at rest, during 10--30 min. In the subjects afflicted with the tetralogy of Fallot, the degree of synchronization or coupling (35%) was significantly lower than in the control subjects (65%). The decrease in the degree of coupling under orthostatic load was significant (P = 0.05) only in in the patients. One year after causal correction, the degree of coupling was normal (63%). From more than 400 autocorrelation functions and performance spectra (calculated to verify frequency and performance) it was deduced that the mean cycle of oscillation of the 1-minute rhythm was significantly shorter in the pre-operative state than in the postoperative state and in the control subjects. A change from the lying to the erect position manifested itself by a non-significant tendency towards period extension. The frequency deviations occurring in case of cyanotic vitium are discussed as an expression of the overall frequency behaviour of the oscillations which are continuously generated in coupled metabolic multienzyme systems, e. g., in case of anaerobic energy generation.