Model-Based Analysis of the Ballistocardiogram Signal During Obstructive and Central Apnea

The ballistocardiogram (BCG) is the signal generated by body micromovements resulting from the ejection of blood from the heart.Recent research highlights its potential for unobtrusive monitoring of sleep-disordered breathing.Although obstructive and central apneas affect the BCG signal, the mechanisms behind these variations are still under debate.An integrated model of cardiorespiratory interactions was adapted to study BCG behavior around both apnea types.The Morris sensitivity analysis was applied to identify most relevant parameters.Influent model parameters were related to ventricular and arterial function, as well as CO 2 sensitivity.These findings illustrate the cardiorespiratory information contained in this signal, and these parameters can be used in future work for patient-specific modeling.