PhD Scientific Days 2025

Poster Session I. - T: Cardiovascular Medicine and Research

Heart Rate Variability Reveals Complex Autonomic Responses to High Gravitational Loads in Aerobatic Flight

Előadó neve

Dr. Nagy-Bozsoky József

Neptun code

S8P73T

Előadó munkahelye

Semmelweis University, Department of Aviation and Space Medicine

Előadó telefonszáma

+36709533359

Előadó e-mail címe

nagy.jozsef@stud.semmelweis.hu

Az előadás címe

Heart Rate Variability Reveals Complex Autonomic Responses to High Gravitational Loads in Aerobatic Flight

Szerző(k) neve és munkahelye

Dr. József Nagy-Bozsoky¹, Dr. Klaudia Vivien Nagy¹, Alexandra Karsai¹

1: Semmelweis University, Department of Aviation and Space Medicine

Bemutatás módja

Poszter

Szekció

Poster Session I. - T: Cardiovascular Medicine and Research

Language of the presentation

Hungarian

Preferred session

Cardiovascular Medicine and Research

Összefoglaló szövege

Introduction: High gravitational loads experienced during flight impose significant stress on pilots' cardiovascular and autonomic nervous systems. Understanding acute cardiovascular responses to such acceleration is crucial for preventing G-induced physiological events, including syncope or loss of consciousness.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate autonomic cardiovascular regulation and sympathovagal balance during aerobatic flight with exposure to high gravitational loads (G-forces).

Methods: Four HUNOR astronaut candidates participated in a four-flight aerobatic G-acceleration demonstration and evaluation program (15-30 min/flight). Continuous 12-lead ECG and acceleration data were recorded. NN intervals were extracted, filtered, and analysed to compute time-varying HRV metrics. The following HRV indices were included: Mean NN, Standard Deviation of NN intervals (SDNN), and Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD) as time-domain indices. Frequency-domain indices included normalized High Frequency (HFn), normalized Low Frequency (LFn), and LF/HF ratio. Cardiac Vagal Index (CVI) and modified Cardiac Sympathetic Index (CSI) were also calculated.
Pre-flight and in-flight averages were compared using Wilcoxon tests with Bonferroni correction.

Results: Mean NN interval remained statistically unchanged (675.2 [± 65.6] vs. 654.9 [± 102.1] ms, p=NS). SDNN (60.9 [± 21.0] vs. 97.1 [± 24.0] ms, p<0.001) and RMSSD (19.9 [± 7.6] vs 30.5 [± 9.2] ms, p<0.001) significantly increased. LFn (0.45 [± 0.13] vs 0.59 [± 0.16] n.u., p<0.001) and LF/HF ratio (7.7 [± 5.0] vs 11.0 [± 6.7], p=0.04) increased significantly, while HFn did not (0.09 [± 0.05] vs 0.07 [± 0.05] n.u., p=NS). CVI (4.22 [± 0.33] vs 4.64 [± 0.25], p<0.001) and mCSI (2249 [± 1411] vs 3576 [± 1501], p<0.001) showed significant increases.

Conclusion: Unlike mean heart rate, HRV indices sensitively revealed autonomic and cardiovascular responses to high-G flight. In addition to sympathetic activation, a notable increase in parasympathetic tone was observed, likely reflecting post-acceleration venous redistribution and anti-G breath holding maneuvers. These findings highlight the utility of advanced HRV metrics for assessing autonomic modulation under extreme physiological stress, such as high-G flight, where detailed assessment has previously been limited.

University

Semmelweis University

Supervisor

Dr. Klaudia Vivien Nagy

Publication of my abstract

I give consent to the publication of my abstract on the website of the congress.

phd.section.field

in doctoral studies before complex exam (PhD)

Kind

Szabad

Status

elfogadva

Accepted presentation method

poszter

Előadás fájl jóváhagyás

nem rendelkezett róla

Előadó

9109

Start

17:18

End

17:24