Polysomnographic sleep recording with simultaneously acquired 12 lead ECGs: a study for detection and validation of apnea related ECG changes

The aim of our study was to investigate whether morphological ECG parameters are changed during sleep disorders, in particular during apnea. We have set up jointly with the sleep laboratory of Marburg University a new database with polysomnographic and simultaneously recorded 12 lead ECG data. Analyses results on single cases and on a data set of 9 patients are presented. They confirm our hypothesis that morphologic ECG parameters vary systematically with apnea phases. While mean values differences seem to be small between regular and apnea respiration, standard deviations of these parameters are marked. From a separate analysis of data for each type of apnea and a joint processing of heart rate variability we expect additional insight into the reasons for the morphologic ECG changes.