Platinum PowerLab Winners Automate HRV Analysis with the Macro Editor
In 2008, to help celebrate 20 years of innovative research by PowerLab users, we ran the PowerLab Platinum Draw, with a grand prize package including a PowerLab 8/30, LabChart Pro software and a laptop computer. The winners, from Inserm Toulouse in France, are using their prize to explore the relationship between the sympathetic nervous system and cardiovascular disease. Specifically, the team are using a selection of LabChart Pro’s most sophisticated functions to automatically extract customized heart rate variability data from multiple ECG recordings.
The winning entry came from Marie-Francoise Altie and Stephane Schaak (pictured right), members of Unit 858 at the Rangueil Institute of Molecular Medicine (Institut de Medecine Moleculaire de Rangueil, or I2MR). I2MR is part of the Toulouse office of Inserm, France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research, and Unit 858 is specifically concerned with investigating the relationship between sympathetic nervous system dysfunction and the development and morbidity of cardiovascular diseases.
More PowerLab Systems = More Experiments
When they entered the draw, Dr Schaak and Dr Altie were already using PowerLab to investigate cardiovascular and autonomic nervous system function in mice. With only one PowerLab system, the busy team were conducting a high volume of experiments, separately measuring and analyzing pressure (both intravascularly using Millar catheters, and non-invasively using a tail cuff system) and ECG signals.
Since winning the Platinum Draw, the team has been able to split their recording across two workstations, with one dedicated to ECG measurement, and the other to cardiac pressure. “We feel very happy and enthusiastic, as this gift will increase our ability to explore mouse cardiovascular function,” said Dr Altie and Dr Schaak.
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Above: An example of Unit 858's mouse studies. The LabChart recording (top) displays an ECG signal. The Waterfall Plot (bottom) presents the signal as a three dimensional image of stacked averaged ECGs, and shows the P-wave transitioning between normal sinus rhythm and atrioventricular disassociation. The Waterfall Plot is one of the Analysis Plots available in the ECG Analysis Module. The ECG Analysis Module is included as part of LabChart Pro.
Automated Data Analysis with the HRV Module & Macro Editor
When explaining why he uses PowerLab systems, Dr Schaak says that he particularly appreciates that “software updates are frequent and take into account user feedback”. One of the most popular LabChart functions developed in response to feedback from advanced users was the introduction of the Macro Editor in LabChart 6 and LabChart 7.
A macro is a set of LabChart commands grouped together for reuse. They speed up repetitive and tedious tasks and allow users to automate recording and analysis. Macros are useful to researchers who complete a large number of repetitive experiments, run experiments remotely or need to exactly duplicate experiment protocols with colleagues in other laboratories.
The Macro Editor allows users to make changes to their existing macros without creating an entirely new file. It also gives advanced users the ability to view and create macros in VBScript, a simple computer programming language.
Dr Schaak is using VBScript and the Macro Editor to automate the previously time-consuming task of analyzing and extracting relevant data from the team’s large number of ECG recordings. The macros use analysis functions from LabChart’s specialized Heart Rate Variability Module (included as part of LabChart Pro). The team uses the Module to extract data from their ECG recordings relating to HRV in both time and frequency domains, and the parasympathetic and sympathetic activity balance. Dr Schaak’s macro automatically analyzes dozens of files, each containing several simultaneously recorded ECG signals.
Like to Use the Macro Editor, ECG Analysis Module or HRV Module?
The LabChart Pro software package includes LabChart 7 (featuring the Macro Editor) and each of the 11 specialized LabChart modules. LabChart Pro users are entitled to five years of free software upgrades, including any new LabChart modules. LabChart Pro can be purchased as an upgrade from LabChart 7 or any previous edition of LabChart or Chart software, or as part of a new PowerLab purchase.
ADInstruments is awarding 12 institutions worldwide with an upgrade to LabChart Pro as part of our Corporate Giving initiative.
- Read more about the Software Grant
- Read more about ADInstruments Corporate Giving
If you are already a LabChart 7 user, you can evaluate any of the LabChart modules free-of charge. Visit the module pages for more information.
11 November 2009
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