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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(3); 512; doi: 10.3390/ani13030512

Validation of an Equine Smart Textile System for Heart Rate Variability: A Preliminary Study.

Abstract: Electrocardiograms (ECGs), and associated heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) measurements, are essential in assessing equine cardiovascular health and fitness. Smart textiles have gained popularity, but limited validation work has been conducted. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare HR and HRV data obtained using a smart textile system (Myant) to the gold-standard telemetric device (Televet). Simultaneous ECGs were obtained using both systems in seven horses at rest and during a submaximal exercise test. Bland-Altman tests were used to assess agreement between the two devices. Strong to perfect correlations without significant differences between the two devices were observed for all metrics assessed. During exercise, mean biases of 0.31 bpm (95% limits of agreement: -1.99 to 2.61) for HR, 1.43 ms (-11.48 to 14.33) for standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDRR), and 0.04 (-2.30 to 2.38) for the HRV triangular index (TI) were observed. A very strong correlation was found between the two devices for HR ( = 0.9993, < 0.0001) and for HRV parameters (SDRR = 0.8765, < 0.0001; TI = 0.8712, < 0.0001). This study demonstrates that a smart textile system is reliable for assessment of HR and HRV of horses at rest and during submaximal exercise.
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Publication Date: 2023-02-01 PubMed ID: 36766401PubMed Central: PMC9913118DOI: 10.3390/ani13030512Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article presents a preliminary validation study on a smart textile system for measuring horses’ heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate (HR). The authors contrast data collected from the Myant textile system against results from a well-established telemetric device. The study concludes that the smart textile system reliably measures HR and HRV during rest and exercise.

Objective of the Study

  • The main goal was to establish the reliability of a smart textile system, in this case, Myant, for measuring HR and HRV, and compare it against a popular, widely-accepted telemetric device, Televet. To achieve this objective, both devices were used to collect electrocardiograms (ECGs) from seven horses both at rest and during sub-maximal exercise.

Methodology

  • The study utilized the Bland-Altman test, which is a statistical method used to measure the agreement between two different testing methods. By applying this test, the researchers were able to assess the level of agreement between the two devices.

Findings

  • Across all the assessed metrics, the study found strong to perfect correlations with no significant differences between the two devices.
  • Results from the exercise measurements showed a mean bias of 0.31 bpm, 1.43 ms for standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDRR), and 0.04 for the HRV triangular index (TI), these values indicate a high degree of accuracy and consistency in measurements across the two devices.
  • A very strong correlation was also found between the two devices, specifically HR (0.9993) and HRV parameters (SDRR = 0.8765, TI = 0.8712).

Conclusion

  • The study concludes that the smart textile system, Myant, is a reliable tool for assessing HR and HRV in horses, both at rest and during submaximal exercise. This finding supports the broader application of smart textiles in equine health evaluations.

Cite This Article

APA
McCrae P, Spong H, Golestani N, Mahnam A, Bashura Y, Pearson W. (2023). Validation of an Equine Smart Textile System for Heart Rate Variability: A Preliminary Study. Animals (Basel), 13(3), 512. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030512

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
PII: 512

Researcher Affiliations

McCrae, Persephone
  • Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Spong, Hannah
  • Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Golestani, Nadia
  • Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Mahnam, Amin
  • Department of Research and Development, Myant Inc., Toronto, ON M9W 1B6, Canada.
Bashura, Yana
  • Department of Research and Development, Myant Inc., Toronto, ON M9W 1B6, Canada.
Pearson, Wendy
  • Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors P.M. and H.S. hold Mitacs Accelerate fellowships at Myant Inc., the company that produces the smart textile system utilized in this study. A.M. and Y.B. are employed by Myant Inc. No fees were received for the data collection, analysis, or preparation of this manuscript.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
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