A Temporal Reliability and Sustainability Score Framework for Ranking Heart Rate Variability Metrics During Pharmacological Autonomic Blockade in Rats
- 1University of Michigan
Abstract
Background: While Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a cornerstone of non-invasive autonomic assessment, the sensitivity and sustainability of specific HRV parameters remain debated. This study introduces a "sustainability score" to systematically validate which metrics best reflect autonomic nervous system (ANS) modulation following pharmacological blockade. Methods: Ten male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with ECG electrodes. After recovery, rats underwent randomized atropine (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) and propranolol (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) sessions separated by at least 3 days. Baseline ECG was recorded for 30 min before each session, followed by 90-min post-drug ECG recording. HRV parameters were analyzed in sequential 15-min and 30-min segments. Reliability was assessed using average p-values across post-drug segments and a sustainability score, defined as the number of segments significantly different from baseline. Results: After atropine, HF Power showed the strongest rapid parasympathetic-related response in 15-min segments, with the lowest average p-value (0.1476) and highest sustainability score (4), followed by RSA (p=0.16148; score=4). HFn was less reliable in 15-min segments (p=0.23147; score=2) but became the most reliable parasympathetic-related metric in 30-min segments (p=0.0001; score=3). After propranolol, SI was the most reliable sympathetic-related metric in both 15-min (p=0.18225; score=2) and 30-min segments (p=0.0393; score=2), while SD2/SD1 showed the strongest 30-min sympathovagal-balance response (p=0.0200; score=3). Conclusion: HF Power is recommended for rapid parasympathetic-related assessment in short windows, HFn for longer-window parasympathetic assessment, SI for sympathetic-assessment, and SD2/SD1 for 30-min sympathovagal-balance analysis. Sustainability scoring provides a structured framework for selecting ECG-derived autonomic markers.
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BibTeX
@misc{ali2026temporal,
title = {{A Temporal Reliability and Sustainability Score Framework for Ranking Heart Rate Variability Metrics During Pharmacological Autonomic Blockade in Rats}},
author = {M. K. Ali and S. Ji and S. Long and S. Gong and J. D. Chen},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.04.748642},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.04.748642v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A Temporal Reliability and Sustainability Score Framework for Ranking Heart Rate Variability Metrics During Pharmacological Autonomic Blockade in Rats
AU - M. K. Ali
AU - S. Ji
AU - S. Long
AU - S. Gong
AU - J. D. Chen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/04
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.04.748642
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.04.748642v1
AB - Background: While Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a cornerstone of non-invasive autonomic assessment, the sensitivity and sustainability of specific HRV parameters remain debated. This study introduces a "sustainability score" to systematically validate which metrics best reflect autonomic nervous system (ANS) modulation following pharmacological blockade. Methods: Ten male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with ECG electrodes. After recovery, rats underwent randomized atropine (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) and propranolol (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) sessions separated by at least 3 days. Baseline ECG was recorded for 30 min before each session, followed by 90-min post-drug ECG recording. HRV parameters were analyzed in sequential 15-min and 30-min segments. Reliability was assessed using average p-values across post-drug segments and a sustainability score, defined as the number of segments significantly different from baseline. Results: After atropine, HF Power showed the strongest rapid parasympathetic-related response in 15-min segments, with the lowest average p-value (0.1476) and highest sustainability score (4), followed by RSA (p=0.16148; score=4). HFn was less reliable in 15-min segments (p=0.23147; score=2) but became the most reliable parasympathetic-related metric in 30-min segments (p=0.0001; score=3). After propranolol, SI was the most reliable sympathetic-related metric in both 15-min (p=0.18225; score=2) and 30-min segments (p=0.0393; score=2), while SD2/SD1 showed the strongest 30-min sympathovagal-balance response (p=0.0200; score=3). Conclusion: HF Power is recommended for rapid parasympathetic-related assessment in short windows, HFn for longer-window parasympathetic assessment, SI for sympathetic-assessment, and SD2/SD1 for 30-min sympathovagal-balance analysis. Sustainability scoring provides a structured framework for selecting ECG-derived autonomic markers.
ER -