This book introduces readers to the basic concepts of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and its most
important analysis algorithms using a hands-on approach based on the open-source RHRV software.
HRV refers to the variation over time of the intervals between consecutive heartbeats. Despite
its apparent simplicity HRV is one of the most important markers of the autonomic nervous
system activity and it has been recognized as a useful predictor of several pathologies. The
book discusses all the basic HRV topics including the physiological contributions to HRV
clinical applications HRV data acquisition HRV data manipulation and HRV analysis using
time-domain frequency-domain time-frequency nonlinear and fractal techniques. Detailed
examples based on real data sets are provided throughout the book to illustrate the algorithms
and discuss the physiological implications of the results. Offering a comprehensive guide to
analyzing beat information with RHRV the book is intended for masters and Ph.D. students in
various disciplines such as biomedical engineering human and veterinary medicine biology and
pharmacy as well as researchers conducting heart rate variability analyses on both human and
animal data.
