Assessment of cardiac autonomic nervous activity in frail elderly people with postural abnormalities and in control subjects

Heart rate variability (HRV), which is considered to reflect the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), has been shown to decline with age. The aim of the present study was to explore cardiac ANS in older patients showing frontal-subcortical dysfunction with “Psychomotor Disadaptation Syndrome” (PDS), through the 24-h HRV. We enrolled 14 patients with PDS (mean age: 84.5 ± 6.9 years), they were compared to 13 frail control subjects (mean age: 80.6 ± 6.7 years). Cardiac ANS activity was assessed by 24-h ECG recordings from three leads with a Holter digital monitor. The decrease in cardiac ANS activity observed in PDS subjects was greater than the alteration found in normally aging subjects. The abnormalities of ANS that aggravate the effects of aging can be seen as a type of physical deconditioning. Such patients could benefit from particular attention in physical training.