Cardiac Autonomic Modulation of Healthy Individuals and Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease During Spontaneous and Controlled Breathing

Abstract Background: Lung diseases and different forms of breathing may interfere with cardiac autonomic modulation (CAM). Objective: To compare CAM in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with healthy individuals during spontaneous breathing (SB) and controlled breathing (CB). Methods: Cross-sectional study involving 30 individuals selected by convenience, divided into COPD group (n = 19) and control group (CG; n = 12). All participants were submitted to heart beat recordings during five minutes at rest (SB) and another five minutes during CB performed at six cycle...