Effect of Head-Up/-Down Tilt on ECG Segments and Myocardial Temporal Dispersion in Healthy Subjects
Gianfranco Piccirillo,
Federica Moscucci,
Ilaria Di Diego,
Martina Mezzadri,
Cristina Caltabiano,
Myriam Carnovale,
Andrea Corrao,
Ilaria Lospinuso,
Sara Stefano,
Claudia Scinicariello,
Marco Giuffrè,
Valerio De Santis,
Susanna Sciomer,
Pietro Rossi,
Emiliano Fiori,
Damiano Magrì
Affiliations
Gianfranco Piccirillo
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Federica Moscucci
Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Ilaria Di Diego
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Martina Mezzadri
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Cristina Caltabiano
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Myriam Carnovale
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Andrea Corrao
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Ilaria Lospinuso
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Sara Stefano
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Claudia Scinicariello
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Marco Giuffrè
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Valerio De Santis
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Susanna Sciomer
Department of Clinical and Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy
Pietro Rossi
Arrhythmology Unit, Fatebenefratelli Hospital Isola Tiberina-Gemelli Isola, 00186 Rome, Italy
Emiliano Fiori
Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant’Andrea Hospital, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00198 Rome, Italy
Damiano Magrì
Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant’Andrea Hospital, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00198 Rome, Italy
The head-up/-down tilt test acutely modifies the autonomic nervous system balance throughout a deactivation of the cardiopulmonary reflexes. The present study examines the influence of head-up/-down tilt on a number of ECG segments. A total of 20 healthy subjects underwent a 5 min ECG and noninvasive hemodynamic bio-impedance recording, during free and controlled breathing, lying at (a) 0°; (b) −45°, tilting up at 45°, and tilting up at 90°. Heart rate variability power spectral analysis was obtained throughout some ECG intervals: P-P (P), P-Q (PQ), PeQ (from the end of P to Q wave), Q-R peak (QR intervals), Q-R-S (QRS), Q-T peak (QTp), Q-T end (QTe), STp, STe, T peak-T end (Te), and, eventually, the TeP segments (from the end of T to the next P waves). Results: In all study conditions, the Low Frequency/High FrequencyPP and LFPP normalized units (nu) were significantly lower than the LF/HFRR and LFRRnu, respectively. Conversely, the HFPP and HFPPnu were significantly higher in all study conditions. STe, QTp, and QTe were significantly related to the PP and RR intervals, whereas the T wave amplitude was inversely related to the standard deviations of all the myocardial repolarization variables and to the left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVEDV). The T wave amplitude diminished during head-up tilt and significantly correlated with the LVEDV.
