Respiratory sinus arrhythmia among menopausal women after exposition to extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields

M B Pecyna1

  • 1Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychophysiology, Institute of Psychology, Opole University, Opole, Poland. sje@o2.pl

In this paper I endeavored to show that respiratory sinus arrhythmia closely corresponds with the perception of psychosomatic complaints. To achieve this aim, two groups of menopausal women, each consisting of 85 subjects, were compared, one of which exhibiting troubles with falling asleep, frequent awakening at night, and sweating and fatigability sensations during the day and the other being asymptomatic. Comparative non-invasive biometric analysis included the following: total, inspiratory, and expiratory heart rate, breathing rate, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Overall, I found that the respiratory sinus arrhythmia and heart and breathing rates were substantially greater in women with psychosomatic complaints. In this group, the cardiorespiratory indices were further enhanced following exposure to extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields. The study suggests the predominance of sympathetic aspects of the autonomic nervous system as a result of psychosomatic complaints in menopausal women and calls for a caution in using the extremely-low-frequency magnetic stimulation in such women, which may exacerbate untoward heart and respiratory responses.

Related Concept Videos

ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias I: Sinus Arrhythmias01:16

ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias I: Sinus Arrhythmias

Arrhythmias are disturbances in the heart's rhythm that lead to abnormal heartbeats. These irregularities can originate from different parts of the heart and are classified based on their origin and nature.
Types of Arrhythmias
Sinus Node Arrhythmias
Sinus Bradycardia: Originating from the sinoatrial (SA) node, sinus bradycardia involves slower impulses, resulting in a heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute (bpm). Causes include sleep, vagal stimulation, beta-blockers, hypothyroidism, and...
Decreased pulse rate01:14

Decreased pulse rate

Bradycardia is a medical condition in which the heart rate is slower than normal. It occurs when the heart's natural pacemaker, the sinus node, generates slower electrical impulses than the standard rhythm. In adults, bradycardia is diagnosed when the pulse rate falls below 60 beats per minute, indicating a deviation from the normal heart rate range.
There are specific risk factors that can elevate the likelihood of developing bradycardia. Advanced age is a significant factor, with bradycardia...
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes01:23

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes

In the absence of an external magnetic field, nuclear spin states are degenerate and randomly oriented. When a magnetic field is applied, the spins begin to precess and orient themselves along (lower energy) or against (higher energy) the direction of the field. At equilibrium, a slight excess population of spins exists in the lower energy state. Because the direction of the magnetic field is fixed as the z-axis,  the precessing magnetic moments are randomly oriented around the z-axis. This...