Summary
The landmark 1996 Task Force guidelines established standard definitions and measurement protocols for HRV that remain the foundation of the field. This paper defined RMSSD, SDNN, frequency domains, and recording requirements.
Methods
Joint European Society of Cardiology and North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology task force
Key Findings
- Defined time domain measures: SDNN, RMSSD, pNN50
- Defined frequency domain measures: VLF, LF, HF
- Established 5-minute short-term and 24-hour recording standards
- Created framework for clinical and research applications
Limitations
Published before wearable technology era
What This Means for You
When you see RMSSD or SDNN on your device, the definitions trace back to this paper. Understanding these foundational metrics helps you interpret what your wearable is actually measuring.
Source
Read the original paper in Circulation ↗
Added to HRV Zone: 2025-01-07