Linking Cardiac Autonomic Dysfunction and InfLammation in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes...
Acute Coronary SyndromeMyocardial IschemiaSubclinical inflammation plays a critical role in all stages of the atherosclerotic process, from the initiation of the fatty streaks to the development of plaque instability and rupture, causing myocardial ischemia and acute coronary syndromes (ACS). A few studies have suggested that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the inflammatory response are intimately linked. Accordingly, a relation between impaired cardiac autonomic tone and increased markers of inflammation has been reported in healthy subjects as well as in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, chronic coronary syndrome or decompensated heart failure. To get insight in the controversial relationship between cardiac autonomic dysfunction and inflammation in patients with ACS both with and without obstructive CAD and assess the precise mechanisms and molecular pathways by which these two pathophysiological conditions mutually influence each other, to characterize their prognostic implications and identify possible targets for novel therapeutic strategies.
Autoimmune Basis for Postural Tachycardia Syndrome
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia SyndromePostural Tachycardia Syndrome7 moreThe purpose of this study is to see if some people with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) have higher levels of immune proteins (autoantibodies) directed against receptors of the autonomic nervous system, and if these autoantibodies make a difference in their POTS symptoms. The investigators also want to see if the levels of these autoantibodies stay the same over time.
Noninvasive Spinal Cord Stimulation for Recovery of Autonomic Function After Spinal Cord Injury...
Spinal Cord InjuriesAutonomic DysfunctionThis study is a pilot clinical trial to explore the efficacy of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TCSCS) (proof-of-concept) in mitigating crucial autonomic dysfunctions that impact the health-related quality of life of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Recognizing Pain Intensity in Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer DiseasePain1 moreThe most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, with 900,000 people affected in France in 2015 and a forecast of 1.3 million in 2020. As a consequence of their advanced age, dementia patients often suffer from pain, mainly musculoskeletal or neuropathic pain. However, the exact prevalence of pain in dementia is underestimated. Indeed, several studies indicate that people suffering from dementia report less pain. This phenomenon is all the more true as the stage of dementia is advanced. In addition, people with dementia receive less pain medication than people without cognitive impairment in similarly painful conditions. Hetero-evaluation alone also seems insufficient, with the result that pain is under-treated compared to patients without cognitive impairment. Better pain screening is a major challenge and self-assessment tools should be favoured as a first line of treatment, even for patients with cognitive impairment. suffering from dementia. The investigators propose in this work to evaluate the variation of vegetative parameters that accompany a painful stimulus. These variations can be recorded at the cardiac, vascular, pupillary or skin conductance level.
The Natural History of Familial Dysautonomia
Familial Dysautonomia (Riley-Day Syndrome)Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathies1 moreThe study will collect clinical information from patients with FD and allow them to give blood to help develop biological markers of the disease to aid diagnosis and treatment. This is a non-invasive, non-interventional, observation study that poses only minimal risk for participants. The study will document the clinical features of patients with FD overtime by storing their routine clinical test results in a central database. The study will involve collaborators at other specialist clinics around the world who follow/evaluate patients with FD annually. Providing blood for future use is optional.
Personalized Stress Management With Application of Portable Devices in Occupational Populations...
StressPsychological2 moreHospital setting is a stressful environment to the hospital staff due to work shifts, high level of responsibility, stressful challenging situations, as well as work and emotional pressures. The rate of burnout among hospital staff is high, as well as the risk of depression and suicide. The association between chronic work stress in hospital and the development of metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular complications and cancer is well established. However, it is actually not easy for the hospital staff to establish a healthier life habit and stress management skills by themselves due to the busy work schedule and the lack of persistence of building up new habits. We hypothesized that conduction of the personalized stress management coaching with the assistance of portable device could be beneficial for the hospital staff to adopt a few healthy behaviors for daily practice, which could reduce stress and the related consequences. The current study will be conducted in two separate hospitals from Wuhan (China) with different intervention strategies and conduction teams. Each institution will recruit 200 participants and complete the full set of biographic information collections at recruitment. Clinical score evaluations, biosample collections as well as 24 h Holter monitoring will be both collected at the recruitment and after 3-month intervention phase. Tongji hospital will receive the active stress-management intervention; the health educator will group the participants together and provide on a weekly basis: stress knowledge and stress-related hazards online, stress management necessities and skills. Meanwhile, weekly data of exercises, cardiac health and sleep condition generated from HUAWEI portable devices will be summarized and sent to the participants together with personalized suggestions and encouragement by trained nurses. Participants from Tongji hospital will be involved in a social network to share their experience and gain insight from the discussions. Finally, they will also complete an electronic diary that covers elements of daily life and stress management activity. The Control institution will be Wuhan No1 hospital, the participants will receive minimum information regarding stress and stress management; they will not receive personalized intervention and will not be involved in group chat. They will be asked to fill in a simplified questionnaire biweekly. The outcome parameters will be the stress relief evaluated by clinical forms and questionnaires, heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, and the establishments of healthier life habits. The current study design would propose a novel strategic stress management plan for the hospital administrates in order to improve the hospital staff health.
Interrogating the Pathophysiological Mechanisms of Constipation in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis...
Systemic SclerosisConstipation2 moreThe purpose of this study is to determine whether transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) alters systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related colonic and anorectal physiology by enhancing autonomic nervous system (ANS) function. The study will examine the effects of TEA on slow colonic transit (SCT) and rectal hyposensitivity (RH), to examine whether TEA improves autonomic dysfunction and modulates inflammatory pathways.
Impact of Intranasal Insulin on Sympathetic Activity and Cerebral Vasodilation
HealthyVasodilation2 moreThe purpose of this project is to examine the impact of increases in brain insulin on sympathetic nervous system activity, as well as peripheral and cerebral blood flow in humans.
Longitudinal Evolution of Biomarkers of Dysautonomia and Inflammation During Sepsis in Children...
SepsisAutonomic Nervous SystemThe Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) regulates the inflammatory response in real time, just as it controls heart rate and other vital functions. Many studies have investigated induced stimulation of the vagus nerve and its therapeutic effect in inhibiting TNFα (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha) secretion, and therefore the risk of hypotension, septic shock, organ dysfunction during inflammation. While the anti-inflammatory effect of the autonomic nervous system on inflammation has been well studied, conversely, the effect of major inflammation on the balance of the autonomic nervous system is more difficult to understand. The inflammatory reflex could be overwhelmed and the regulatory centers of the brainstem dysregulated during situations of extreme inflammation.
Renal Arterial Denervation in Sympathetic Dysautonomia
HypertensionRenal Denervation4 moreThe RANSOM registry is considered as a collection of data with the ultimate purpose of gathering information about the effect of renal denervation in patients of the investigator's center and evaluating the results within the usual clinical practice. The general objective of the study is to evaluate the clinical results (blood pressure, quality of life and levels of catecholamines) as well as safety of renal sympathetic denervation in hypertensive patients, at least in treatment with an antihypertensive drug and with increased variability, considering as such a standard deviation> 10 mmHg for systolic BP and> 5 for diastolic BP of its blood pressure levels, measured by ABPM.