Low-complexity autoregressive modeling of the fast and slow QT adaptation to heart rate changes

The aim is to develop a new model of the QT interval dynamics behavior related to heart rate changes. Since two kinds of QT response have been pointed out, the main idea is to split the modeling process into two steps: 1) the modeling of the ldquofastrdquo adaptation, which is inspired by the electrical behavior at the cellular level relative to the electrical restitution curve, 2) the modeling of the ldquoslowrdquo adaptation, inspired by experiments works at the cellular level. Both are modeled as low-complexity autoregressive process whose parameters are computed using an unbiased estimator. The relevance of this approach is illustrated on several ECG recordings where the variations of the heart rate are various (rest, atrial fibrillation episodes, exercise). Significant results are obtained in agreement with the physiological knowledge at the cellular level.