5. Experimental Results and Discussion
[15] Let us consider the results obtained in the experiments
aimed at justification of the suggested mechanism by discussing, as
an example, how the human brain activity evaluated from the
electroencephalogram (EEG) obtained at a measuring-calculating
system depends on a set of solar and geophysical factors of the
environment. Several series of the investigations of the correlation
between variations in the EEG parameters and fundamental
characteristics of the background electromagnetic fields of the
Schumann resonance range have convincingly demonstrated that
variations in the biorhythmic activity of the human brain under the
condition of a physiological rest correlate with changes in the
electromagnetic fields (EMF) of the extremely low-frequency
(ELF) range (Schumann resonances). The level of correlation
interrelations between changes in the amplitude characteristics in
the range of exogenous determination of the EEG rhythms and
electromagnetic background fluctuations has been found to range
from 0.2 to 0.8 ( a = 0.95 ) on different experimental days for a
sample of volunteer research subjects. The range of exogenous
determination is the frequency range in which the effect of external
electromagnetic fields on living systems has a maximum
bioefficiency. In addition, it has been inferred from the data
obtained in the long-term monitoring that the dynamics of the
correlation between the parameters of the EEG activity and the
ELF variations of the EMF exhibits a stable daily variation
involving higher levels of correlation in the morning and evening
hours. This can be attributed to pronounced changes in the
parameters of the Schumann resonances in the dynamics of their
daily variation in these hours. Thus the fact that fluctuations in the
parameters of the Schumann resonances affect variations in
spontaneous electrical activity of the human brain can be thought
to be experimentally verified.
|
Figure 3
|
[16] It is now reasonable to evaluate the influence of global
indexes of solar and geomagnetic activity on the revealed
regularities in the context of the suggested mechanism. In this
connection, all the results of the experimental investigations for
sample statistics were inspected with the aim of revealing whether
the correlations between the parameters of the range of exogenous
determination of the EEG and the ELF variations of the EMF are
influenced by the solar and geomagnetic activities. Figure 3 shows
the 10-day dynamics of daily averaged correlation coefficients
between the parameters of EEG and ELF EMF and the solar
activity level (Wolf numbers). The trends in the variations of the
values considered are seen to be similar. A linear correlation
analysis of the presented data has shown that the correlation
coefficient is 0.75 ( a = 0.95 ). The relationships with the dynamics
of the geomagnetic activity represented by the
Ap indexes are
similar.
[17] The obtained results suggest that there is a general
regularity, i.e., as the levels of solar and magnetic disturbances
increase, the degree of correlation between the characteristics of
the neuro-dynamic activity and the parameters of the Schumann
resonances become higher. This regularity allows us to interpret
the available data on exacerbations of a number of diseases, the
so-called dynamic diseases, when a disturbance of the solar or
geomagnetic activity occurs. It is known that the range of adaptive
abilities of an organism appreciably depends on the general state of
the organism. If nosological deviations take place, this range
becomes substantially narrower. Because of this, the coordinating
system of the exogenous regulation of rhythms can fail to follow
the dynamics of the exogenous agent of the physical nature, which
potentially can cause a temporal mismatch of a set of biological
rhythms or violation of the homeostasis of functional systems.
[18] Therefore, by modifying the state of the Schumann
resonator, solar and geomagnetic disturbances indirectly affect the
functional state of a human organism, in particular the levels of
neurodynamics and hence the biorhythmic activity of the organism
as a whole.
|
Figure 4
|
[19] Let us consider the results obtained in the experiments
aimed at justification of the resonance mechanism of
solar-terrestrial connections taking the cardiovascular system of a human
being as an example. Figure 4 presents changes in the daily
dynamics of the frequency of the fundamental harmonic of the
electromagnetic background (FHB) in the frequency range from
0.8 to 2.5 Hz and variations in the period of heart contractions
( d RR) for two volunteer research subjects from a sample of 10
persons. The dashed line in the figure is the linear interpolation of
experimental results, and the solid line shows the polynomial
approximation of the data. It can be seen that there is a pronounced
correlation between changes in the individual circadian rhythm and
variations in one of the components of the natural electromagnetic
background.
|
Figure 5
|
[20] It is obvious that correlated changes in the parameters
considered above do take place, however their regularity and
quantitative degree of correlation with the magnitude of variation
in the FHB period are different for different volunteer research
subjects. One of possible factors responsible for a lack of
uniqueness in the response of functional systems of a human
organism is a varying individual psychosomatic state. This means
that variations in the absolute values have individual characteristic
correlation relations with the dynamics of variations in the
fundamental harmonic of the electromagnetic background (FHB).
An attempt
was made to reveal a common tendency in possible
modulations of the level of functioning of the cardiovascular
system ( d
RR) and changes in the FHB. To this end, 24-hour
measurements of
d RR in four volunteer research subjects at one
and the same time were carried out and, simultaneously, changes in
the period of the FHB of the ELF range were measured. Using
individual changes in the cardio intervals combined relative to the
time axis, envelopes of extrema were drawn (Figure 5).
[21] It has been found that the actual dynamics of the variables
discussed, while appreciably differing in each individual case, is
characterized by a rather high statistically significant correlation
(Pearson's coefficient of correlation is equal to 0.4 at
a = 0.05 ).
Analysis of the time intervals of the additive components of
d RR
corresponding to the presented data has shown that the major
contribution to variations in the heart activity cycle comes from
changes in the durations of the atrium excitation interval and
constituents of the relaxation phase interval. Analysis has also
revealed that the character of the correlated variations of the
electrocardiogram portions depends on the individual typological
features and the circadian rhythm phase of a volunteer research
subject.
[22] Because of an insufficient amount of the obtained data, the
cause-and-effect relationships between variations in the processes
investigated cannot be revealed, however a strong correlation
between the dynamics of the cardiovascular system parameters and
the dynamics of the period of the separated out mode of the
background EMF of the ELF range suggests that natural
electromagnetic fields of the ELF range belong to significant
ecological factors even in magnetically quiet days. The fact that the
responses of the cardiovascular system have characteristic activity
modulations typical of the dynamics of the electromagnetic
background of the particular geographical location leads to the
conclusion that the hypothesis that this exogenous factor can be
one of external synchronizers for oscillatory systems of a human
organism has been experimentally confirmed.
|
Figure 6
|
[23] Variations in the components of the vector of the magnetic
field as a circadian synchronizer are considered from a similar
point of view. Results of this investigation are illustrated in Figure 6,
where smoothed values of the
Y component ( dY ) of the
magnetic field and the period of heart contractions
d RR are shown
as functions of the time of a day for one of the patients.
|
Figure 7
|
[24] If a measure of correlation is taken to be the magnitude of
the cross-correlation function, its reliable value for a given
volunteer research subject at a zero shift and a confidence
probability level of 95% is 0.56 for the eastward component and
- 0.11 for the northward component. For the vertical component the
correlation coefficient is negligible under these conditions. For the
entire sample, the partial correlation coefficient of
d RR is the
highest for the eastward component (0.70), it is equal to 0.60 for
the vertical component, and it is negligible for the northward
component
[Borodin and Kolesnik, 2001].
A characteristic feature
is that significant correlated changes in the period of heart
contractions and pattern of variations in the magnetic field vector
components are maintained for time periods of up to tens of
seconds (see Figure 7)
[Borodin and Kolesnik, 2001].
[25] Such regularities should not be underestimated because
considerable changes in the pattern of variations of the magnetic
field vector components in different frequency ranges can cause a
provoked ectopic activity in the patients suffering from diseases of
the cardiovascular system.
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