Cycle Detection: A Technique for Estimating the Frequency and Amplitude of Episodic Fluctuations inBlood Hormone and Substrate Concentrations

摘要: Investigation of episodic endocrine secretion has been hampered by inadequate analytical techniques for describing patterns blood concentrations over time. Although standard time series methods, such as autocorrelation and power spectral analysis, are available, their use is limited to special cases in which rhythms regular. To facilitate the analysis our own LH data, we have developed a process determining frequency amplitude both regular irregular (signals) presence high levels random measurement errors (noise). This process, called cycle detection, engages an iterative, computerized procedure scans data identifying sequential increases decreases greater than initial, preset threshold value. One complete defined two separated decrease also threshold. For initial first pass estimate amplitude, set at 2.7 times no...