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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Activity in Children
Published on: April 29, 2013
The effect of a meal and water loading on heart rate variability in children with functional dyspepsia
Craig A Friesen1, Zhiyue Lin, Jennifer V Schurman
1Section of Gastroenterology, The Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA. cfriesen@cmh.edu
Insights
Functional dyspepsia (FD) in children shows abnormal autonomic responses after meals, unlike controls. Sympathovagal balance differs between FD patients and controls concerning water load volume.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Autonomic Nervous System Function
- Digestive Health
Background:
- Autonomic dysfunction is a suspected factor in functional dyspepsia (FD).
- Understanding autonomic responses in pediatric FD is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate autonomic function differences in children with FD compared to healthy controls.
- To assess heart rate variability (HRV) changes after a meal and water loading in pediatric FD.
Main Methods:
- Two-part study involving children with FD and controls.
- Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis measuring vagal activity (HF), sympathetic activity (LF), and sympathovagal balance (LF/HF).
- Measurements taken at baseline, after a test meal, and after rapid water loading.
Main Results:
- No significant HRV differences between FD patients and controls at baseline or after water loading.
- Following a meal, FD patients showed higher HF and lower LF/HF compared to controls.
- Baseline sympathovagal balance correlated differently with water load volume in FD patients versus controls.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric FD is linked to abnormal autonomic responses, particularly evident after meals.
- The relationship between baseline sympathovagal balance and water load volume differs significantly between FD patients and controls.
Background:
Alteration in autonomic function has been implicated as a possible pathophysiologic mechanism in functional dyspepsia (FD) in adults.
Methods:
This was a two-part study. For the first part of the study, nine children with FD and 28 controls underwent heart rate variability (HRV) analysis for 30 min baseline and for 60 min following a test meal. For the second part of the study, eight children with FD and 26 controls underwent HRV analysis for 30 min baseline and for 60 min following rapid water loading. HRV analysis yielded measures for power in the high frequency (HF) band (vagal activity), power in the low frequency (LF) band (mainly sympathetic activity), and LF/HF (sympathovagal balance).
Results:
HRV parameters did not differ between FD patients and controls in either baseline period or following water loading. Following the meal, HF was higher and LF and LF/HF were lower in FD patients as compared to controls. Baseline LF/HF was positively correlated with the water load volume in controls and negatively correlated with the water load volume in FD patients.
Conclusion:
FD in children is associated with an abnormal autonomic response best demonstrated following a meal. The relationship between baseline sympathovagal balance and water load volume in FD patients is distinctly different from the relationship in control children.
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