University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States of America.
Navy Experimental Diving Unit, Panama City, FL, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2018 Jun 1;13(6):e0198328. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198328. eCollection 2018.
The electrodermal activity (EDA) is a useful tool for assessing skin sympathetic nervous activity. Using spectral analysis of EDA data at rest, we have previously found that the spectral band which is the most sensitive to central sympathetic control is largely confined to 0.045 to 0.25 Hz. However, the frequency band associated with sympathetic control in EDA has not been studied for exercise conditions. Establishing the band limits more precisely is important to ensure the accuracy and sensitivity of the technique. As exercise intensity increases, it is intuitive that the frequencies associated with the autonomic dynamics should also increase accordingly. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine the appropriate frequency band associated with the sympathetic nervous system in the EDA signal during exercise. Eighteen healthy subjects underwent a sub-maximal exercise test, including a resting period, walking, and running, until achieving 85% of maximum heart rate. Both EDA and ECG data were measured simultaneously for all subjects. The ECG was used to monitor subjects' instantaneous heart rate, which was used to set the experiment's end point. We found that the upper bound of the frequency band (Fmax) containing the EDA spectral power significantly shifted to higher frequencies when subjects underwent prolonged low-intensity (Fmax ~ 0.28) and vigorous-intensity exercise (Fmax ~ 0.37 Hz) when compared to the resting condition. In summary, we have found shifting of the sympathetic dynamics to higher frequencies in the EDA signal when subjects undergo physical activity.
皮肤电活动（EDA）是评估皮肤交感神经活动的有用工具。我们之前使用 EDA 数据的频谱分析在休息时发现，对中枢交感控制最敏感的频谱带主要局限在 0.045 到 0.25 Hz 之间。然而，在运动条件下，与 EDA 中交感控制相关的频带尚未得到研究。更准确地确定频带限制对于确保技术的准确性和敏感性非常重要。随着运动强度的增加，与自主动力学相关的频率也应该相应增加，这是直观的。因此，本研究的目的是检查运动期间 EDA 信号中与交感神经系统相关的适当频带。18 名健康受试者进行了亚最大运动测试，包括休息期、步行和跑步，直到达到最大心率的 85%。所有受试者同时测量 EDA 和 ECG 数据。ECG 用于监测受试者的即时心率，这用于设置实验的终点。我们发现，与休息状态相比，当受试者进行长时间低强度（Fmax0.28）和剧烈强度运动（Fmax0.37 Hz）时，包含 EDA 频谱功率的频带的上限（Fmax）显着向更高的频率移动。总之，我们发现当受试者进行身体活动时，EDA 信号中的交感神经动力学向更高的频率移动。
