Heart rate variability analysis in children submitted to electronic games

Abstract

Aims: to evaluate the autonomic heart function of healthy children in electronic games situations, by analyzing Heart Rate Variability. Methods: sixty healthy children participated in this study, who were monitored by a digital heart rate monitor and subjected to the experiment with the electronic game. Heart rate variability analysis was calculated using the Continuous Wavelet transform. Results: an increase in the intensity of the Low frequency / High Frequency values can be observed, suggesting influence of the protocol phases, so that there was an increase in the values from the Rest phase to the Game phase, but no significant value was found. Between the Rest (1.52±0.97 ms2) and Recovery (1.89±1.04 ms2) phases there was a significant increase obtaining a value of p=0.003. Comparing the values of Low frequency / High Frequency between the phases Game 2.37±1.20 and Recovery 1.89±04 ms2, there was a significant reduction of the ratio (p =0.016). Conclusion: it is concluded that electronic games can cause an increase in sympathetic activity, decreasing the heart rate variability of the studied children, suggesting a stressful situation.