Assessment of the Relationship Between Cerebral Blood Flow and Heart Rate

Assessment of the Relationship Between Cerebral Blood Flow and Heart Rate: An Electrophysiology Based Study

The investigators will seek to determine the relationship between heart rate and middle cerebral artery (MCA) cerebral blood flow (CBF), as well as better understand the hemodynamic determinants of MCA CBF velocity. In order to manipulate heart rate, the investigators will recruit patients already scheduled for clinically indicated elective electrophysiological studies, where temporary pacing catheters placed in the right atrium can be used to artificially pace the heart at controlled rates. MCA CBF will be measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasound.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Physiology; Cerebrovascular Circulation
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Electrophysiological Pacing

Detailed Description

Background: Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is maintained at a relatively constant level by multiple overlapping auto-regulatory systems over a wide range of blood pressures. This ensures adequate oxygen delivery to the brain and is critical to ongoing brain function and consciousness. Patients with reduced CBF experience symptoms of presyncope (e.g. lightheadedness, dizziness, trouble concentrating) and may faint. In patients with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS), these orthostatic symptoms are a chronic issue, but the underlying pathophysiology is poorly understood - there is both evidence for and against impaired cerebral auto-regulation in POTS patients.

Previous studies have demonstrated that increased cardiac output improves CBF independent of mean blood pressure. This is of particular interest in POTS patients, who display reduced cardiac output both during rest and orthostasis. This is due in part smaller heart size and reduced blood volume, which necessitate high heart rates to maintain cardiac output. The relationship between cardiac output and CBF has not been studied in POTS patients. Given the characteristic orthostatic tachycardia seen in these patients, the effects of heart rate on CBF are also of interest. The relationship between heart rate and CBF, to our knowledge, has not been studied.

The chronic orthostatic symptoms in POTS patients are largely unexplained, but contributed centrally to significantly reduced quality of life. These symptoms are thought to be caused in part by alterations in CBF. While POTS does not have a "cure", alleviation of orthostatic symptoms would likely improve patients' ability to engage with activities of daily living and may reduce overall disease burden. Gaining an improved understanding of the hemodynamic determinants of CBF is essential to achieving this goal.

Objectives: To assess the relationship between heart rate and middle cerebral artery (MCA) CBF. Additionally, to better understand the hemodynamic determinants of MCA CBF velocity by examining the relationships between heart rate, stroke volume, pulse pressure, and MCA CBF velocity.

Methods: This will be an open-label, single group study in otherwise healthy patients scheduled for elective electrophysiology studies prior to planned ablations for supraventricular tachycardia. The study will take place with the participant supine on the electrophysiology laboratory procedure table, with a temporary pacing catheter already placed in the high right atrium. Prior to beginning the study protocol, the participant will be instrumented with non-invasive (a) skin electrodes to continuously monitor heart rate and record an electrocardiogram; (b) a volume-clamp finger cuff to monitor beat-to-beat blood pressure, calibrated with intermittent brachial cuff measurements; and (c) a transcranial Doppler System to record CBF velocity. Estimates of stroke volume, cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance will be obtained using Modelflow-based waveform analysis of the continuous blood pressure waveform. A clinically standard sinus node recovery time (SNRT) protocol will be performed whilst collecting CBF and hemodynamic responses. Pacing will occur at 600 ms (100 bpm), 500 ms (120 bpm), 400 ms (150 bpm), and 350 ms (171 bpm) cycles for 60 seconds each, with a rest period of at least 60 seconds between pacing runs. After these pacing runs, the study data collection will be complete and the extra blood pressure cuffs and transcranial doppler probes will be removed from the participant so that the clinical electrophysiology study may continue as planned. The investigators estimate that this study will add no more than 10-15 minutes to the overall procedure time.

In this exploratory "proof of concept" study, the investigators plan to enrol 20 participants.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Satish R Raj, MD MSCI; Phone Number: 403-210-6152; Email: satish.raj@ucalgary.ca

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Alberta
    • Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4Z6
      • Recruiting
      • Foothills Medical Center
      • Contact: Satish Raj, MD MSCI; Phone Number: 4032106152; Email: autonomic.research@ucalgary.ca

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or female
• Age 18-70 years, inclusive
• Scheduled for clinically indicated elective electrophysiological studies where temporary pacing catheters are being placed in the right atrium
• Left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%
• Able and willing to provide informed consent
• Able to travel to the Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory at the Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent
• Other factors which in the investigator's opinion would prevent the participant from completing the protocol

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Patients Scheduled for Elective Electrophysiological Study; High right atrial pacing will occur at the following rates for 60 seconds each, with a rest period of at least 60 seconds between pacing runs: 600 msec (100 bpm); 500 msec (120 bpm); 400 msec (150 bpm); 350 msec (171 bpm)	Other: Electrophysiological Pacing; Assess the MCA CBF velocity response at different paced heart rates.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in MCA CBF velocity in response to high right atrial pacing at 400 ms (150 bpm) relative to baseline while in the supine position	Compare the MCA CBF velocity at the participant's own baseline sinus rhythm (<100 bpm) and during pacing at 400 ms (150 bpm)	After 1 minute of pacing at 400 ms (150 bpm)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in MCA CBF velocity in response to high right atrial pacing at 600 ms (100 bpm) relative to baseline while in the supine position	Compare the MCA CBF velocity at the participant's own baseline sinus rhythm (<100 bpm) and during pacing at 600 ms (100 bpm)	After 1 minute of pacing at 600 ms (100 bpm)
Change in MCA CBF velocity in response to high right atrial pacing at 350 ms (171 bpm) relative to baseline while in the supine position	Compare the MCA CBF velocity at the participant's own baseline sinus rhythm (<100 bpm) and during pacing at 350 ms (171 bpm)	After 1 minute of pacing at 350 ms (171 bpm)
Change in MCA CBF velocity in response to high right atrial pacing at 400 ms (150 bpm) relative to pacing at the lowest rate (100 bpm) while in the supine position	Compare the MCA CBF velocity during pacing at 600 ms (100 bpm) and during pacing at 400 ms (150 bpm)	10 minute electrophysiological pacing protocol
Change in MCA CBF velocity in response to high right atrial pacing at 350 ms (171 bpm) relative to pacing at the lowest rate (100 bpm) while in the supine position	Compare the MCA CBF velocity during pacing at 600 ms (100 bpm) and during pacing at 350 ms (171 bpm)	10 minute electrophysiological pacing protocol
Change in stroke volume in response to high right atrial pacing at 400 ms (150 bpm) relative to baseline while in the supine position	Compare the stroke volume at the participant's own baseline sinus rhythm (<100 bpm) and during pacing at 400 ms (150 bpm)	10 minute electrophysiological pacing protocol
Change in cardiac output in response to high right atrial pacing at 400 ms (150 bpm) relative to baseline while in the supine position	Compare the cardiac output at the participant's own baseline sinus rhythm (<100 bpm) and during pacing at 400 ms (150 bpm)	10 minute electrophysiological pacing protocol
Change in pulse pressure in response to high right atrial pacing at 400 ms (150 bpm) relative to baseline while in the supine position	Compare the pulse pressure at the participant's own baseline sinus rhythm (<100 bpm) and during pacing at 400 ms (150 bpm)	10 minute electrophysiological pacing protocol

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Calgary
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Satish R Raj, MD MSCI, University of Calgary

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 11, 2021
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): June 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Anticipated): June 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 22, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 14, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): May 18, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 30, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 28, 2021
• Last Verified: September 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Cerebral Blood Flow
• Other Study ID Numbers: REB20-0064

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No