The impact of cyclic alternating pattern on heart rate variability during sleep in healthy young adults

Abstract

Objective: Cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) consists of arousal-related phasic events while the complementary condition, non-CAP (NCAP), is characterized by a rhythmic background activity, reflecting a condition of stable arousal, during non-REM sleep. The arousal swings that accompany the appearance of CAP on the EEG are associated with transient variations of muscle tone and autonomic activities, including heart rate (HR). The aim of our study was to evaluate HR variability in relation to CAP during non-REM sleep in healthy adults.