Interbeat interval (IBI) is a scientific term used in the study of the
mammalian
Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class (biology), class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in Female#Mammalian female, females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a ...
heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
.
Definition
Interbeat interval is a scientific term used in reference to the time interval between individual beats of the
mammalian
Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class (biology), class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in Female#Mammalian female, females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a ...
heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
. Interbeat interval is abbreviated "IBI" and is sometimes written with a hyphen, "inter-beat interval". It is also sometimes referred to as "beat-to-beat" interval.
IBI is generally measured in units of milliseconds. In normal heart function, each IBI value varies from beat to beat. This natural variation is known as ''heart rate variability'' (HRV). However, certain cardiac conditions may cause the individual IBI values to become nearly constant, resulting in the HRV being nearly zero. This can happen, for example, during periods of exercise as the heart rate increases and the beats become regular. Certain illnesses can cause the heart rate to increase and become uniform as well, such as when a subject is afflicted by an infection.
Recording
A number of instruments have been developed for specifically recording individual IBI values. Generally, the instruments are used in basic cardiology research, as there is yet no specific condition whose IBI statistics can be used to diagnose the condition or guide treatment for the condition. However, HRV is an active field of research and IBI analysis can yield a rich amount of data that hold promise for future medical applications.
See also
*
Circulatory system
The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...
*
Heart rate variability
Heart rate variability (HRV) is the physiological phenomenon of variation in the time interval between heartbeats. It is measured by the variation in the beat-to-beat interval.
Other terms used include: "cycle length variability", "R–R variabi ...
(HRV)
References
* Malik M. and Camm, A.; ''Heart Rate Variability'', Futura Publishing Company, 1995.
External links
Heart Rate Variability General ReferenceCamNtech, manufacturer of IBI-recording monitorsDistributor of IBI-recording monitors
Heart