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Parameters of the Orcadian Temperature Rhythm Using Sparse and Irregular Sampling
Author(s) -
Monk Timothy H.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1987.tb00285.x
Subject(s) - statistics , rhythm , sampling (signal processing) , mathematics , oscillation (cell signaling) , analysis of variance , circadian rhythm , psychology , amplitude , audiology , medicine , chemistry , physics , neuroscience , biochemistry , quantum mechanics , detector , optics
This study addresses the question of whether reliable estimates of phase, level, and size of oscillation of the human dread inn temperature rhythm can be obtained using a “sparse and irregular” sampling strategy (every two hours, but limited to normal wakefulness (08W‐2200)) and a method of analysis based upon fitted sinusoids. The data set comprised continuously monitored rectal temperature collected for between 4 and 6 days from a heterogeneous group of 13 healthy subjects (4 female, age range 37–81) entrained to their habitual sleep/wake cycle under conditions of temporal isolation. The first analysis used only sinusoid‐based parameters (acrophase, mesor, and amplitude) comparing “frequent and regular” (every 30 min around (the clock) with “sparse and irregular” sampling strategies. Significant positive correlations were obtained (r >.78, p < .001 in all cases) between the two strategies, indicating that at least half of the variance could be explained by a linear relationship between the two. The second analysis compared sinusoid‐based sparse sampling parameters of phase, level, and size of oscillation, with equivalent measures obtained by an analysis that made no assumptions about the sinusoidality of the data. Again, significant positive correlations were obtained (r > .70, p < .005) confirming the possible value of sparse and irregular sampling strategies.