Fuzzy logic SBP and RR modelling evaluated under parasympathetic blockade

Here, fuzzy logic models are used to describe the relation between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and tachogram (RR) values as a function of the SBP level. These methods are now evaluated under parasympathetic autonomic blockade, i.e. a condition which tends to difficult the modelling task once the RR variability is dramatically decreased whereas no SBP changes are observed. As expected, fuzzy logic models obtained under vagal blockade have lower modelling error than those obtained in baseline. The pairwise differences between errors in both conditions are positively correlated with differences in SBP LF power and in RR HF power, markers of sympathetic and vagal activity respectively. The methyl-atropine surfaces are flatter than those in baseline, in agreement with the decrease in frequency domain BRS estimates from baseline to drug condition. Finally, fuzzy models obtained under vagal blockade were found to be statistically significant, which strengths the potential of the fuzzy logic approach to model SBP and RR also during vagal blockade.