Abstract
The maximum cross-correlation coefficient ρmax between blood pressure variability and heart rate variability, whose frequency components are limited to the Mayer wave-related band, is a useful index to evaluate the state of the autonomic nervous function related to baroreflex. However, measurement of continuous blood pressure with an expensive and bulky measuring device is required to calculate ρmax. The present study has proposed an easier method for obtaining ρmax with measurement of finger photoplethysmography (PPG) only. In the proposed method, independent components are extracted from feature variables specifying the PPG signal by using the independent component analysis (ICA), and then the most appropriate component is chosen out of them so that the ρmax calculated from the component can approximate its true value. The results from the experiment with a postural change performed in 18 healthy subjects have suggested that the proposed method is available for estimating ρmax by using the ICA to extract blood pressure information from the PPG signal.
