Active clinical trials for "Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy"

Transient left ventricular ballooning syndrome (TLVBS) is a cardiac syndrome that is characterised by acute but transient left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Since the syndrome clearly is not a rare phenomenon and since prognosis is not as benign as originally thought, there is a need for further research into the etiology and pathophysiology of TLVBS. Therefore the investigators aim to study the microvascular and endothelial function in their population of TLVBS patients.

TakoTsubo Syndrome (TTS) constitutes an increasingly recognised, heterogenous clinical entity which is associated with considerable short-term mortality. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that, in the long term, TTS can induce the expression of a phenotype similar to HFpEF . Apart from the typical (apical left ventricular) type, the current TTS definition has been expanded to also include the mid-ventricular, the basal and the focal type. Several previous studies on the typical form of the syndrome demonstrated that the principal underlying pathophysiology is sympathetic overactivation. Purpose The aim of this study is to investigate the potential association between the sympathetic tone and the acute phase clinical features of TTS. Furthermore, the investigators aim at exploring possible correlations between the sympathetic tone activity and the diastolic dysfunction, a reported complication occurring one year after the acute phase. This is a prospective observational study enrolling patients aged 18-85 years who fulfill the InterTaK diagnostic criteria and whose CMR within 14 days of the onset is not suggestive of an alternative diagnosis. All patients will be treated on individual basis according to the recent expert consensus statement for TTS. During the baseline evaluation the sympathetic tone will be assessed by means of Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity study (MSNA), heart rate and blood pressure variability parameters. Additionally, in a subgroup of participants sympathetic activity and cardiac sympathetic enervation will be evaluated with radioactive Iodine Metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy (mIBG). Sequential echocardiography and CMR indices will be used for heart function and geometry assessment. The investigators will investigate the correlation between the sympathetic tone and the severity of cardiac dysfunction (systolic and diastolic) during the acute phase. Furthermore, the investigators will examine differences of the sympathetic tone effect in association with the localisation of the wall motion abnormality. Stress levels and quality of life will be assessed with respective validated questionnaires. The participants will be followed-up with quarterly clinic reviews for 12 months after the acute event. Baseline measurements will be repeated at the end of the follow-up period. Ethics approval has been obtained from the hospital ethical committee board. The study results are expected to determine the role of the sympathetic tone on the extend, the severity and the localisation of cardiac dysfunction during the acute phase. They are also expected to demonstrate the role of the sympathetic tone on the long-lasting disorder that persists for months following the acute event.

Manganese is a calcium analogue which actively enters viable cells with intact calcium-handling mechanisms and its uptake is evident by an increase in MRI-detectable T1 relaxivity of tissues. Mangafodipir is a novel manganese-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast medium with unique biophysical properties that are ideal for application to cardiac imaging. Recent studies in man have demonstrated the utility of manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) in assessing infarct size more accurately than with standard cardiac MRI protocols using gadolinium enhancement and have shown reduced myocardial manganese uptake in patients with cardiomyopathies suggesting abnormal calcium handling. Understanding the potential for myocardial recovery is key in guiding revascularisation therapies in ischaemic cardiomyopathy, in addition to novel therapies used in heart failure. Being able to monitor calcium handling and therefore myocardial function in different types of cardiomyopathies has the potential to guide management in these patients. The investigators here propose an investigational observational study of MEMRI to assess myocardial calcium handling in reversible causes of cardiomyopathy, namely ischaemic cardiomyopathy, myocarditis and takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

This is a multicenter, multinational, prospective and retrospective, observational study of patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC). Data on natural profile (demographical characteristics, clinical phenotype, laboratory values, electrocardiography parameters, echocardiography parameters, coronary angiography parameters, medication) and outcome are systematically collected. Our aim is to gain a better insight into the clinical profile and pathophysiology of TTC.

Prospective, multicenter, observational registry collecting data from subjects with Tako-Tsubo (stress-induced) cardiomyopathy (TTC). Uniform, complete, and accurate data will be collected on the subject's medical history, during index hospitalization for TTC, and during follow-up. The objectives are to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of cancer in patients with TTC, to document the underlying causes of death during hospital stay and during follow-up, to determine the long-term prognosis, and to identify possible predictors of short and long-term mortality.

Psychological processes play a complex role in the pathophysiology of many diseases. However, the body and emotional perception of patients and the relationship between dreams and disease still need to be investigated. The investigators planned an observational and controlled research aimed at assessing some previously unaddressed baseline psychological characteristics and their changes at 1 and 5 years after a short-term psychotherapy in carefully characterised patients with heart or oncologic diseases . The patients that will be enrolled are: 50 patients ≤ 75 year old with acute myocardial infarction; 30 patients ≤ 75 year old with Tako-Tsubo syndrome; 50 women ≤ 75 year old, recently operated on breast cancer: 90 control subjects of the same age and gender of the enrolled patients, without relevant pathologies during the last 10 years. Relevant pathologies are defined as those that required a hospitalisation or a long-lasting medical therapy. At the enrolment all the subjects will undergo a complete medical evaluation, and the following psychometric tests: Self-evaluation test, Social Support Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI II), MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI 2). In two distinct following meetings, an open questionnaire exploring the body and emotional perception, and another exploring past and recent dreams, will be administered. The same evaluation will be done for the healthy subjects. After the initial evaluation, all the patients will be given the choice to start a short-term psychotherapy lasting 6 months on top of medical therapy or to continue classic medical therapy only. Healthy subjects will be not offered the possibility to follow psychotherapy. At first year of follow-up, the battery of psychometric test, and the two questionnaires exploring the body and emotional perception, and changes and characteristics of dreams during the psychotherapy, will be re-administered. The following data will be evaluated: Psychological characteristics at follow-up. Incidence of new relevant medical events Quality of life Relationship between psychological characteristics and health status, and quality of life At 5 year follow-up psychometric tests and the clinical data will be evaluated in all the groups.

There is increasing interest in myocardial abnormalities following central nervous system events, such as subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). These cardiac abnormalities include ECG changes, decreased cardiac output, decreased blood pressure, specific cardiac enzyme elevations, and segmental wall motion abnormalities (SWMA). Interestingly, wall motion abnormalities and ECG changes have shown to be reversible, and therefore the dysfunction has been described as neurogenic myocardial stunning. The pathophysiology of cardiac dysfunction following SAH has not yet been fully elucidated. Many reports (mainly case reports) have been published, but so far no study has investigated the frequency of these abnormalities in a prospective manner, have correlated the occurrence of the different cardiac abnormalities, and have assessed which clinical variables can predict cardiac dysfunction. And only a limited number of studies have related neurological outcome with cardiac dysfunction.

The event-related potentials may be different in patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy than in patients without Takotsubo.