Figure 9

Intermittent phase coordination and binary pattern recurrence. Upper two panels: Real data example of a 7:2 phase recurrence, i.e. the relative phases of R waves between successive onsets of inspiration (II interval) recur after seven heartbeats and two respiratory cycles, and at least over a period of k = 3 heartbeats. This is denoted as 7:2 intermittent phase coordination. Lower panel: The corresponding RR tachogram shows a pronounced RSA which is synchronous with the thermistor signal and which leads to a cyclical 7-bit RSA pattern recurrence (of pattern class 22, see Fig. 10), i.e. binary values are repeated after seven heartbeats over a period of at least k = 3 heartbeats. This is equivalent to the rotation of the heart rate acceleration pattern 0110010 → 1100100 → 1001001 → 0010011 → etc.