Investigating baroreflex control of circulation using signal processing techniques

The authors examine recent approaches for the assessment of baroreflex control of circulation. The application of these techniques has provided them with new insights into cardiovascular regulation including: 1) a comprehensive description of the effects of the arterial baroreflex on different components of blood pressure variability and heart rate variability; and 2) a description of the dynamic modulation of the spontaneous baroreflex gain, which occurs in the laboratory environment and in daily life activities. Given the recent evidence that information on baroreflex cardiovascular control may have prognostic value in a variety of pathological conditions, the clinical application of the above techniques may offer new perspectives for the routine evaluation of patients with cardiovascular diseases.