Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability after spinal anaesthesia

Power spectral analysis of heart rate (HR) variability is a useful tool with which to assess cardiac autonomic activity. The low frequency bands have been considered as both sympathetically and parasympathetically mediated components, while the high frequency bands have been assumed to be the parasympathetically mediated respiratory components. It has been anticipated that spinal anaesthesia to the thoracic level may modulate cardiac autonomic activity to reduce HR and arterial pressure by blocking cardiac sympathetic activity. In order to quantify the alterations in cardiac autonomic activity, we have analysed the power spectra of HR variability for 30 min after subarachnoid administration of hyperbaric amethocaine. Using 256-s R-R interval data obtained from continuously recorded ECG, low frequency (Lo: 0.04-0.15 Hz) and high frequency (Hi: 0.15-0.40 Hz) band widths were integrated and their serial alterations were computed by shifting subjected R-R intervals at 60-s intervals. After the subarachnoid injection, arterial pressure, HR and Lo decreased and Hi and the Hi:Lo ratio increased. These changes were observed within 15-20 min. Ventilatory frequency did not change throughout the study. These findings suggest that the decrease in HR and arterial pressure after subarachnoid administration of hyperbaric amethocaine reflect decreased sympathetic activity and increased parasympathetic activity in the cardiac autonomic nervous system.