A Hybrid Signal Processing of RR Intervals from QTc Variation Searching Arrhythmia and Improving Heart Rate Variability Assessment in Acute Large Artery Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

Sudden death caused by abnormal QTc and atrial fibrillation (AF) has been reported in stroke. Heart rate variability (HRV) is reduced with missing beats of RRI during arrhythmic episode and abnormal QTc variation during acute stroke. In this study, we develop a hybrid signal processing by Pan Tompkins QRS detection and Kalman filter estimator for meaningful missing beats and searching AF with prolonged QTc. We use this hybrid model to investigate RRIs of Lead II ECG in thirty acute stroke patients with long QTc and AF (LQTc-AF) and normal QTc without AF (NQTc-nonAF) and then assess them by HRV. In LQTc-AF Kalman, higher mean heart rate with lower mean RRIs compared to NQTc-nonAF Kalman was characterized. LQTc-AF Kalman showed significant increase in SDNN, HF, SD2, SD2/SD1, and sample entropy. SDNN and HF associated with high RMSSD, pNN50, and SD1 reflect predominant parasympathetic drive for sympathovagal balance in LQTc-AF Kalman. Greater SD2, SD2/SD1, and sample entropy indicate more scatter of Poincaré plot. Compared with conventional Labchart, fractal scaling exponent of α1 (DFA) is higher in LQTc-AF Kalman. Remarkable complexity with parasympathetic drive in LQTc-AF Kalman suggests an influence of missing beats during stroke.