CARDIA_V1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Interoceptive processing and training on cardiac symptoms and anxiety (CARDIA)

• IRAS ID

  342812

• Contact name

  Sarah Garfinkel

• Contact email

  s.garfinkel@ucl.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University College London

• Duration of Study in the UK

  5 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  This project aims to explore how anxiety and heart health affect each other. Every heartbeat sends a signal to the brain, and understanding this signal can help develop novel treatments for heart-related issues. However, this heart-brain signal is not often investigated. We aim to understand if people with frequent heart palpitations, irregular heartbeats, or rapid heart rate increase upon standing are more affected by emotional events, potentially leading to higher anxiety levels.
  Eligible participants are those with:
  - palpitations in the absence of cardiac abnormality: heart palpitations are characterised by sensations of hard (pounding or thumping sensation), fast, fluttering, or irregular heartbeats, often triggered by emotional stress or anxiety.
  - Inappropriate-sinus-tachycardia: condition whereby the heart beats faster than the normal even at rest.
  - Postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome (PoTS): condition where you experience fast heart rates and symptoms like dizziness and fatigue upon standing.
  All participants must be adults (18 to 65).
  Experiments will involve eliciting emotions within a safe-lab environment. Participants will use a virtual reality headset to immerse in an emotional environment (frightening and calming) and recall emotional memories while listening to music (happy, sad and angry). For those with PoTS, posture change (lying to standing) will induce changes in heart rate. Throughout, heart and brain activity will be monitored using EEG (simple electrodes are placed on your head to monitor your brain waves), and participants will count heartbeats, immerse their hand in cold water, and complete mental health questionnaires. These procedures will be conducted during a two-hour visit to the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. Although some experiences may be emotional, breaks and the option to stop will be provided to ensure comfort. All procedures are safe and our lab is a world-leading lab investigating the heart and emotion.

• REC name

  London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  24/PR/1381

• Date of REC Opinion

  23 Jan 2025

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion