Journal of rehabilitation medicine : official journal of the UEMS European Board of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine
-
Review
Heart rate variability and the central autonomic network in the severe disorder of consciousness.
To review the applicability of heart rate variability measures in research on severe disorder of consciousness. ⋯ Heart rate variability analyses appear to be applicable to assess residual or emerging (higher level) function in brain-injured patients with disordered consciousness and to predict outcome. In this regard, the central autonomic network model is heuristic in the understanding of heart rate variability descriptors of the central nervous system/autonomic systems relationship.