Usefulness of Evaluating Autonomic Nervous Activity during Mobilization of Acute Noncardioembolic Ischemic Stroke: Comparison of Subtypes of Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to investigate autonomic nervous activity in different subtypes of ischemic stroke patients. [Subjects] Thirty-three patients (age, 71.5 years; 23 men, 10 women) were included in the present study. [Methods] An electrocardiogram was recorded during supine rest, mobilization, and supine recovery. Parameters of autonomic nervous activity (parasympathetic nervous activity [lnHF] and sympathetic nervous activity [LF/HF]) were calculated using spectral analysis of heart rate variability measured by an electrocardiograph. Patients were divided into two groups by etiology: lacunar infarction (LAC) group (n=15) and large-artery atherosclerotic infarction (LAA) group (n=18). Two-way analysis of variance was used to compare the parameters of autonomic nervous activity between the groups. [Results] Parasympathetic nervous activity of the LAC group was lower than that of the LAA group during supine rest (lnHF: 5.1 vs. 6.1), and sympathetic nervous activity was higher than that of the LAA group during mobilization (LF/HF: 3.0 vs. 1.4). [Conclusion] In the acute phase, the LAC group may be at higher risk of autonomic dysfunction than the LAA group.