Heart rate variability remains reduced and sympathetic tone elevated after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery

These findings show that in patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy, HRV is decreased globally in both sympathetic and parasympathetic domains. While the total HRV remains reduced throughout the postoperative periods, the LF/HF ratio, i.e., sympathovagal balance is altered, in favor of parasympathetic side early after surgery, but towards the sympathetic side after the first postoperative month.