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eCAM Advance Access published online on June 15, 2007
eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nem065
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© 2007 The Author(s).
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Variation Analysis of Sphygmogram to Assess Cardiovascular System under Meditation

Chuan-Yi Liu1, Ching-Chuan Wei2 and Pei-Chen Lo1

1Institute of Electrical and Control Engineering, National Chiao Tung University and 2Department of Computer and Communication Engineering, Asia University, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

In this article, we studied how meditation affects the characteristics of the cardiovascular system, mainly based on blood pressure waveforms (BPW). Four parameters derived from BPW include the rising slope (h1/t1), normalized height of T wave (h3/h1), normalized height of V3 valley (h4/h1) and normalized height of D wave (h5/h1), where t1 and hi, i = 1, ... ,5 are quantitative features of the BPW waveform pattern. A larger value of h1/t1 reflects better heart ejection ability and aorta compliance. A larger value of h3/h1 may infer an arterial system with good elasticity. The decrease (increase) of h4/h1 parameter indicates the decrease (increase) of peripheral resistance of vessels. A larger value of h5/h1 indicates better artery elasticity and aortic valve function. In comparison with the control group, Zen-meditation practitioners have more after-meditation h1/t1, h3/h1 and h5/h1 increase, with more h4/h1 decrease, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). The observation allows us to infer that Zen meditation may effectively improve relevant characteristics of the cardiovascular system.

Keywords: blood pressure waveform – cardiovascular system – meditation – sphygmogram

For reprints and all correspondence: Pei-Chen Lo, Department of Electrical and Control Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, 1001 Ta-Hsueh Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel: 886-3-573-1667; Fax: 886-3-571-5998; E-mail: pclo{at}faculty.nctu.edu.tw

Received August 18, 2006; accepted April 4, 2007


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