Naslov
Comparison in Heart Rate Variability during Working and Non-working Nights

Autori
Slavić, Ana ; Manenica, Ilija

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Abstracts of the 7th Alps-Adria Conference in Psychology / Manenica, Ilija - Zadar : Odjel za psihologiju Sveučilišta u Zadru, 2005, 50-50

Skup
Alps-Adria Conference in Psychology (7 ; 2005)

Mjesto i datum
Zadar, Hrvatska, 02.06.2005. - 04.06.2005

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
HRV; sympathetic and vagal modulation of cardiac activity; night shift

Sažetak
Measurements of changes in heart rate variability (HRV) are often used for evaluation of the effects of working stress on people, where its different parameters may indicate various aspects or varieties of working stress (physical, mental, emotional). The magnitude of mean R-R intervals, for example, is related to physical component of working stress, while their variability indices and power spectrum parameters may reflect mental and/or emotional aspects of working stress. Various studies have shown poorer performance, poorer safety, higher fatigue, greater stress etc, during night shifts in comparison with daily working. One of the reasons for pointing out night-shift work as an important stressor, per se, might be the rigidity of circadian changes in supremacy between sympathetic and parasympathetic parts of the vegetative system, where, normally, the former prevails during day and the later during night. Working in night shifts demands an extra effort, which requires a significant involvement of sympathetic control of bodily functions. One could argue, therefore, that if the work efficiency is to be maintained at the daily level, the level and the patterns of changes in cardiac activity during night-shift should be similar to those during daily work. If this is not the case, the changes in cardiac activity during night-shift working and during non-working nights, should be similar in the patterns, but not necessarily in the levels. The aim of this study was to compare levels and patterns of HRV changes of eight medical nurses during night-shift working and non-working nights. The study included continuous recordings of R-R intervals for 10 hours during night-shift working, as well as 10 hours recording during non-working nights. Analyses of R-R intervals showed, as expected, some differences in the levels, but not as much in the patterns of changes, between working and non-working nights. Non-working nights were characterised by somewhat longer R-R intervals, higher variability indices and, as shown by spectral analysis, a greater parasympathetic activity in cardiac modulation. On the other hand, the patterns of changes in R-R intervals and their spectral compositions during working and non-working nights were similar, showing thus the supremacy of the circadian pattern of changes, i.e. parasympathetic prevalence during night in both cases (correlations range from 0.44 – 0.58). Parasympathetic prevalence during night-shift working presents a kind of maladjustment, since normal working implies sympathetic activity. This is particularly true for the period between 03.00 and 06.00 hrs, when various parameters indicate almost the same level of arousal during night-shift and non-working night. Certainly, the lack of sympathetic activity and parasympathetic dominance represent a major source of stress in night-shift work.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Psihologija

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