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High-dimensional time irreversibility analysis of human interbeat intervals.
Feng zhen Hou1, Xin bao Ning, Jian jun Zhuang
1Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics, School of Electronic Science & Engineering, Institute for Biomedical Electronic Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
Medical Engineering & Physics
|February 1, 2011
Summary
This study introduces a new method to measure time irreversibility in high-dimensional data, like heart rate variability. This advanced technique reveals time irreversibility as a key feature of human heartbeats and detects its loss in congestive heart failure patients.
Area of Science:
- Biomedicine
- Physiology
- Complex Systems Analysis
Background:
- Time irreversibility is gaining importance in biomedicine.
- Existing methods for time irreversibility testing are limited to low-dimensional spaces.
- Effective high-dimensional testing methods are scarce.
Purpose of the Study:
- To extend traditional low-dimensional time irreversibility estimation to high-dimensional state spaces.
- To develop a reliable method for quantifying time irreversibility in physiological signals.
- To investigate the clinical utility of time irreversibility analysis in short physiological records.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a strategy combining multiple bidimensional tests.
- Extended traditional low-dimensional methods for high-dimensional analysis.
- Applied the method to physiological and synthetic interbeat (RR) intervals.
Main Results:
- Time irreversibility is an intrinsic characteristic of human RR intervals.
- This property complements traditional time and frequency domain analyses.
- A loss of time irreversibility was detected in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).
Conclusions:
- The proposed method reliably quantifies high-dimensional time irreversibility.
- The method is effective for analyzing short physiological records (minutes).
- Detecting loss of time irreversibility may aid in CHF diagnosis and monitoring.
