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AmJCaseRep

Comparative analysis of autonomic modulation in children with acute and controlled asthma

Evelim Leal de Freitas Dantas Gomes, Luciana Maria Malosá Sampaio, Etiene Farah Teixeira Carvalho, Eliana Mendes, Fabiana Sobral Peixoto-Souza, Dirceu Costa

Med Sci Tech 2013; 54:30-34

DOI: 10.12659/MST.883863

Available online: 2013-03-28

Published: 2013-03-28


#883863

Background: We aimed to compare autonomic modulation in children with acute and controlled asthma at rest.
Material and Methods: Twenty-five children aged 5 to 13 years participated in the study: 19 with asthma analyzed both during an attack (acute asthma group) and after controlling the condition (controlled asthma group), and 6 without asthma (control group). Peak flow, spirometric variables and C-reactive protein were analyzed. Heart rate variability (HRV) was evaluated at rest for 10 min in the supine position using frequency and time domains as well as non-linear variables. Asthma was characterized as persistent/moderate based on the classification of severity.
Results: A predominance of the sympathetic nervous system was found in the acute asthma group, as demonstrated by the RMSSD, LF/HF ratio, SD1, and SD2. No difference was found between controlled asthma and control groups. Peak flow was lower among the children with asthma in comparison to the control group. Moreover, no statistically significant difference in peak flow was found between the acute and controlled asthma groups. A positive correlation was detected between C-reactive protein and LF/HF ratio.
Conclusions: Differences in autonomic modulation were found in the groups studied, with predominant action of the parasympathetic system in the controlled asthma group. Unexpectedly, predominance of the sympathetic system was found in the acute asthma group, which was likely an attempt to assist in bronchodilation and may explain the systemic inflammatory response triggered in these patients.

Keywords: Autonomic Nervous System, heart rate variability, Asthma



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