Sign and magnitude scaling properties of heart rate fluctuations following vagus nerve stimulation in a patient with drug-resistant epilepsy

This study shows that VNS therapy increases the complexity of cardiac fluctuations in a patient with drug-resistant epilepsy, reflecting an augmented HRV non-linearity and a diminished anticorrelated pattern in heart rate fluctuations. A potential clinical use of these parameters includes the early identification of bradycardia, sudden unexpected death (SUDEP) risk and preoperative VNS approaches. Thus, the scaling and magnitude properties of HRV have potential importance as a non-invasive and easy method for adequate diagnostic/prognostic in epilepsy treatment.
Source: Epilepsy and Behavior Case Reports - Category: Neurology Source Type: research