Model of cardiovascular control during Valsalva maneuver

We developed a physiologically-based model to quantify cardiovascular control during the Valsalva maneuver. Our mathematical model analyses measured heart rate and peripheral vascular resistance dynamics and takes into account the hemodynamic changes occurring during intra-thoracic and intra-abdominal pressure elevation. Furthermore the model includes simulation of the baroreflex and could fit 44 data sets obtained from 19 healthy subjects with low residual errors. We developed parameters to quantify the tone of sympathetic and parasympathetic discharge on the cardiovascular system, what gives an insight view on the regulatory processes triggered during the Valsalva maneuver. Additionally our model predicts left ventricle stroke volume change, baroreceptors firing rate, as well as the duration and strength of each phase of the Valsalva maneuver.