ATONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
The autonomic nervous
system is composed of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The
autonomic nervous system (ANS) has a major role in the stress response that
subsequently results in the activation of fight or flight systems (Childre and
Martin, 1999). This response allows the body to react quickly to stressful or
dangerous situations by mobilizing energy to fight the threat, or fly (escape)
from it. The body does this through the release of the hormone adrenaline
(epinephrine). The release of adrenaline increases heart rate, breathing rate,
mobilizes energy resources, and decreases digestion and salivation. All of
these reactions help the body to respond to a threat. The parasympathetic
system returns the body to a resting state once a threat has been removed.
Previous studies in
patients with chronic disease have utilized heart rate variability (HRV) as a
tool for monitoring ANS function (Hassett et
al., 2007; Dobrek et al., 2006).
HRV measures variations around beat-to-beat intervals of the heart rate, and
the measurements translate into a set of parameters that reflect a state of
sympathetic (stress, anxiety) or parasympathetic (relaxation, calmness)
activation in the body (Hayano et al.,
1991; Moser et al., 1998).
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