Περίληψη: | The spectral analysis of heart rate variability is a tool that gained more and more clinical importance in the latest years. It can be used in order to access autonomic function on the cardiovascular system through the evaluation of the different frequency bands of the HRV. So far different mathematical approaches have been used towards this aim, often with contradictory results. Therefore, the need for standardization of the methods seems more and more important. In this thesis 2 non-parametric, Fourier-based methods and two parametric based on autoregressive modeling were used in order to extract the power spectral density of patients with epilepsy. Their results were statistically compared to age matched controls. The analysis have shown that when a parametric method is used, a careful model order selection method must be used, and when this is accomplished, the power spectrum could more efficient highlight differences between controls and patients. The results between non-parametric and parametric methods were different, therefore these methods cannot be considered interchangeable. The analysis methodolgy established in this first part of the study has been used to analyse HRV signals from patients before and after deep brain stimulation.
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