AN ONLINE PROGRAM TO CALCULATE RESPIRATORY SINUS ARRHYTHMIA AMPLITUDE

A variety of evidence shows that the amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)-the peak-to-peak variations in heart rate caused by respiration-is a valid and reliable index of parasympathetic cardiac control. An on-line program to calculate RSA amplitude on a breath-by-breath basis is described. The validity of the RSA amplitude values obtained through the computer program were tested in two studies. From the first one, the correlations between RSA amplitude and a set of cardiorespiratory variables, under both rest and auditory stimulation conditions, are reported. In the second study, the effect of atropine administration on the RSA amplitude, under both rest and mental load conditions, was examined. The results of both studies are congruent with predictions and suggest the usefulness of the software.