Heart rate measures are more nearly normally distributed and homogeneous in variance than heart period measures in infants, whereas neither is preferred in adults.
For statistical modeling in infants, heart rate is a preferable measure to heart period due to better normality and variance homogeneity.
ABSTRACT One consideration in choosing between the measures, heart period and heart rate, is how well they meet the assumptions of statistical models. A review of previous findings and new data suggests that, with adult subjects, there is little basis for preferring one measure to the other but, with infant subjects, rate has the advantage of being more nearly normally distributed and more homogeneous in variance. Other considerations, briefly discussed, are the nature of measurement error and whether a cardiac or real time base is to be used.
Frances K. Graham (1978) reported a review. Heart rate measure vs. Heart period measure was evaluated on Normality of distributions and homogeneity of variance. Heart rate measures are more nearly normally distributed and homogeneous in variance than heart period measures in infants, whereas neither is preferred in adults.