Vet Med - Czech, 2024, 69(2):42-51 | DOI: 10.17221/49/2023-VETMED

Evaluating the indicators of a heart rate variability analysis in dogs using Poincaré plotsOriginal Paper

T Kimura¹, S Shimamura¹, H Sakaya², T Hayashi³, A Umemoto³, K Sakai¹, M Yamasaki⁴, T Hasegawa⁵, T Shimada¹

¹ Laboratory of Small Animal Clinical Medicine, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Izumisano, Osaka, Japan

² R&D Division, Global New Business Development Unit, Smart Appliances & Solutions BU, SHARP CORPORATION, Yao, Osaka, Japan

³ Life Innovation & Material Laboratories, Corporate Research and Development Group, SHARP CORPORATION, Tenri, Nara, Japan

⁴ Laboratory of Small Animal Internal Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka, Iwate, Japan

⁵ Kakogawa Animal Hospital, Nishi-inokuchi, Higashi-kanki, Kakogawa, Hyogo, Japan

Heart rate variability analyses using Poincaré plots can be useful for evaluating the autonomic nervous system function. However, the interpretation of the quantitative indicators of Poincaré plots remains controversial. Thus, few studies have verified the effectiveness of the quantitative indicators in veterinary medicine. This study aimed to verify the reliability of Poincaré plot indicators using pharmacological models in dogs. Four healthy beagles were used in this study. Each dog was treated with propranolol, atropine, and propranolol–atropine to block the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and sympathetic–parasympathetic functions, respectively. The quantitative indicators of the Poincaré plots were calculated based on data from 300 electrocardiogram beats collected before and after the administration of each drug and statistically analysed. The quantitative indicators of the Poincaré plots, such as the standard deviation perpendicular to the major axis (SD1), standard deviation along the major axis (SD2), and SD1 × SD2, significantly decreased after the drug administration in both the parasympathetic and sympathetic–parasympathetic blockade models. However, no significant differences were observed in SD1/SD2 between the groups. The Poincaré plots reflected the changes in the autonomic nervous system of dogs. In dogs, SD1, SD2, and SD1 × SD2 can detect a state in which parasympathetic nerve activity is suppressed.

Keywords: canine; frequency-domain; geometric; Lorenz-plot; time-domain

Received: April 28, 2023; Revised: November 6, 2023; Accepted: January 29, 2024; Prepublished online: February 27, 2024; Published: February 28, 2024  Show citation