Heart rate variability and the dynamic nature of the retinal microvasculature: providing insight into the brain-retina-heart link: the SABPA study
Date
2019Author
Wentzel, Annemarie
Malan, Leoné
Von Känel, Roland
Smith, Wayne
Malan, Nicolaas
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Controversy exists regarding the contribution of
the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to the retinal microvasculature’s autoregulatory capacities. It was demonstrated that mean
retinal vessel responses to systemic sympathetic stimulation were
significantly reduced in sympathectomised eyes. Decreased heartrate-variability (HRV) indicates increased sympathetic nervous
system (SNS) activity and modulation with a shift in the sympathovagal balance towards SNS predominance, vagal withdrawal or
both. Increased SNS activity may precede volume-loadin