A Review of Measurement and Analysis of Heart Rate Variability

Electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most important physiological parameter that gives correct assessment of heart function. QRS complex is a prominent waveform in an ECG that provides the basis for analyzing heart rate variability (HRV). HRV refers to the beat-to-beat alterations in heart rate. Commercial devices these days provide preset computerized measurement of HRV, thus providing the cardiologist a simple tool for both research and clinical learning. To obtain meaningful data from the ECG, a noise free inter-beat interval (IBI) time series is required to be extracted. This is realized using standard peak detection algorithms packed with data acquisition hardware and software. The aim of this paper is to describe various QRS detection methods used to derive HRV. It also reviews various time and frequency domain HRV parameters. The significance and meaning of these different measures of HRV are a potential area of research.