Inference of Phase Diffusion

Justus T.C. Schwabedal

Parametric phase diffusion analysis (PARPHIDA), a method to determine
variability of irregular oscillations, is presented.  PARPHIDA is formulated
as an analysis technique for sequences of Poincare return times found in
numerous applications.  The method is unbiased by the arbitrary choice of
Poincare section, i.e. isophase, which causes a spurious component in the
Poincare return times.  Other return-time variability measures can be biased
drastically by these spurious return times, as shown for the Fano factor of
chaotic oscillations in the Roessler system.  The empirical use of PARPHIDA is
demonstrated in an application to heart rate data from the Fantasia Database,
for which PARPHIDA parameters successfully classify heart rate variability
into groups of age and gender.