Perturbation in parasympathetic nervous system activity affects temporal structure of Poincaré plot

A novel descriptor (Complex Correlation Measure (CCM)) for measuring the variability in the temporal structure of Poincaré plot has been developed to characterize or distinguish between Poincaré plots with similar shapes. This study was designed to assess the changes in temporal structure of the Poincaré plot using CCM during atropine infusion, 70° head-up tilt and scopolamine administration. The aim of this study was to asses the changes in temporal structure of the Poincaré plot using CCM during atropine infusion (parasympathetic blockade) and transdermal scopolamine patch administration (enhanced parasympathetic activity) phases. The change in CCM values during these autonomic perturbation phases revealed the physiological relevance of the new descriptor. The concordant reduction and enhancement in CCM values with parasympathetic activity indicates that the temporal variability of Poincaré plot is modulated by the parasympathetic activity which correlates with changes in CCM values.