Welcome and introduction to the VU-AMS
E.J.C. de Geus
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Nether
This second VU-AMS User Meeting introduces participants to the acquisition and analysis of ambulatory data recorded with the Vrije Universiteit - Ambulatory Monitoring System (VU-AMS). The VU-AMS can be used to measure behavioral and physiological variables in real-life settings. In this introduction, a global overview of the practical use and theoretical framework of the VU-AMS will be presented.
Physiological variables assessed with the VU-AMS device are heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, galvanic skin response, pre-ejection period, left ventricular ejection time, Heather index, stroke volume and cardiac output. From these variables, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity can be derived. The VU-AMS also assesses motility information, which can be used (in conjunction with diary information) to control for the effects of physical activity and posture on the physiological variables.
Paper presented at Measuring Behavior 2002 , 4th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, 27-30 August 2002, Amsterdam, The Netherlands