Characterizing Neurocardiovascular Responses to an Active Stand Test in Older Women: A Pilot Study Using Functional Data Analysis

This observational pilot study investigated neurocardiovascular responses to an active stand test using continuous physiological monitoring and functional data analysis (FDA) in older women. A sample of 25 community-dwelling female adults aged 59–78 years (mean age: 70.3 years) participated. Participants were dichotomized into comparison groups based on five factors: age (<70 vs. ≥70 years); the presence of initial orthostatic hypotension (IOH, yes/no); body mass index (BMI < 25 vs. ≥25 kg/m2); antihypertensive medication use (yes/no); and physical frailty status assessed by the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe—Frailty Instrument (SHARE-FI score < −0.5 vs. ≥−0.5). Each participant completed an active stand test during which six physiological signals were continuously recorded: systolic (sBP) and diastolic (dBP) blood pressure and heart rate (HR) via digital artery photoplethysmography and left frontal oxygenated hemoglobin (O2Hb), deoxygenated hemoglobin (HHb), and tissue saturation index (TSI) via near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The signal analysis focused on a standardized 200 s window spanning 50 s before to 150 s after the stand, with all signals resampled and synchronized at 5 Hz. FDA was used to statistically compare the full time series between groups for each signal. Group-level differences revealed that younger participants (<70 years) exhibited significantly higher HR in multiple periods following the stand (~10 s, ~30 s, ~90 s, and ~140 s post-stand) compared to their older counterparts. Participants with IOH demonstrated significantly lower sBP at ~10 s, ~80 s, and ~130 s post-stand and lower dBP at ~10 s post-stand. Among participants classified as overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2), significantly lower levels of HHb were observed at ~10 s, ~30–50 s, and ~60 s post-stand, while O2Hb levels were reduced at ~50 s, ~60 s, ~70–110 s, ~130 s, and ~140 s post-stand. No statistically significant group-level differences were observed based on antihypertensive medication use or frailty status. These findings demonstrate the utility of FDA in detecting subtle, time-dependent physiological variations during orthostatic challenge and underscore the value of continuous neurocardiovascular monitoring in assessing orthostatic tolerance in aging populations.