Feasibility analysis for pulse rate variability to replace heart rate variability of the healthy subjects

Objective: To judge whether the pulse rate variability can be used as a surrogate of heart rate variability, as well as investigate the quantitative relationship between them. Methods: Being simultaneously acquired, the pulse wave and ECG data were denoised, removed baseline drift. Then the pulse rate intervals and heart rate intervals were extracted. Finally, the relationship between the heart rate variability and pulse rate variability were studied in the time domain, frequency domain, and nonlinear analysis. Conclusion: By studying the pulse rate variabilities and heart rate variabilities of 30 healthy adolescents, we find that heart rate variability and pulse rate variability is correlated, but the difference is relatively small, in a resting condition, the difference of time domain is less than 3%, the Frequency domain is less than 9%, the nonlinear is less than 9%, which in a certain extent can replace each other. Furthermore, the influence from the neural regulation and respiration caused the delay of PRV in comparison with HRV, ranging from 6% to 20% of a heartbeat period. The breathing more greatly influences the PRV than HRV.