Clinical Trial: Time Frequency Analysis of Electrocardiogram and Blood Pressure in Intracranial Hemorrhage Patients

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Multiscale Entropy and Time-Frequency Analysis of Electrocardiogram and Blood Pressure in Patients With Spontaneous Intracranial Hemorrhage

Brief Summary: Dysregulation of autonomic nervous system is evident in patients with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage. In this study, we utilize a non-invasive method (heart rate and blood pressure variability analysis to analyze the autonomic activities in this group of neurosurgical patients. Our aim is to determine the utility of this modality in risk stratification and outcome prediction in these patients.

Detailed Summary:

Spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage is an absolute emergency in the field of neurosurgery, and it is also a devastating event that commonly results in major neurological disabilities or mortalities. Since disease severities and clinical courses vary in each patient, pathophysiological studies and prognostic factors are always worth research. From previous studies, we know that dysregulation of autonomic system plays an important role in intracranial hemorrhage. Hemorrhage itself is associated with sympathoexcitation, and patients who develop rebleeding or infarction complications are found to have an even higher degree of sympathetic storm. Therefore, the degree of autonomic activities seems to be a useful predictor.

Traditionally, sympathetic activities are measured by plasma catecholamine, while parasympathetic activities are hard to measure. In recent decades, the application of engineering in biological fields makes a great breakthrough. Waveform analysis of biological signals, such as electrocardiograms and arterial blood pressure, can indirectly determine autonomic activities. The variabilities of heart rate and blood pressure are subjected to frequency analysis. This generates several dominant frequency bands. High frequency bands (0.15-0.40Hz) are attributed to the effect of parasympathetic nervous system, while, the low frequency bands (0.04-0.15 Hz) are attributed to the effect of both sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

In this study, all patients with spontaneous intracranial bleedings undergo standard treatment and monitoring. This include electrocardiography, arterial blood pressure, and cerebral blood flow using transcranial Doppler sonography. For those who also have intracranial pressure monitoring, the intracranial pressure are also recorded. All these biological signals are exported for wave
Sponsor: National Taiwan University Hospital

Current Primary Outcome: Activity of autonomic nervous activities determined by low frequency and high frequency energies in heart rate variability [ Time Frame: 14 days within initial ictus ]

Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome: Presence of vasospasm or not [ Time Frame: 14 weeks ]

Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: National Taiwan University Hospital

Dates:
Date Received: July 9, 2008
Date Started: April 2008
Date Completion:
Last Updated: July 10, 2008
Last Verified: July 2008