Short Communication Accuracy of Pulse Rate Variability Parameters Obtained from Finger Plethysmogram: A Comparison with Heart Rate Variability Parameters Obtained from ECG

Two spectral components of heart rate variability, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and Mayer wave-related sinus arrhythmia (MWSA), respectively provide noninvasive indices of cardiac vagal activity and systemic sympathetic activity with vagal modification. Their amplitudes are usually obtained from spectral analysis of R-R intervals measured on an electrocardiogram (ECG). In the present study, it was examined whether peak-to-peak intervals measured on a finger plethysmogram (FPG) can be alternative data to the ECG R-R intervals for the same analysis. If we can substitute the FPG for the ECG, this provides an advantage in a routine physical examination at a work site, because the FPG is often easier to be applied to many subjects than the ECG.