| Title | Autonomic Neuromodulation Acutely Ameliorates Left Ventricular Strain in Humans. | ||
| Author | Tran, Nicole; Asad, Zain; Elkholey, Khaled; Scherlag, Benjamin J; Po, Sunny S; Stavrakis, Stavros | ||
| Journal | J Cardiovasc Transl Res | Publication Year/Month | 2019-Jun |
| PMID | 30560316 | PMCID | PMC6579714 |
| Affiliation + expend | 1.University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 800 Stanton L Young Blvd Suite, Oklahoma City, OK, 5400, USA. | ||
Low-level transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation at the tragus (LLTS) is anti-adrenergic. We aimed to evaluate the acute effects of LLTS on left ventricular (LV) function and autonomic tone. Patients with diastolic dysfunction and preserved LV ejection fraction were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, 2 x 2 cross-over study. Patients received two separate, 1-h sessions, at least 1 day apart, of active LLTS (20 Hz, 1 mA below the discomfort threshold) and sham stimulation. Echocardiography was performed after LLTS or sham stimulation to assess cardiac function. A 5-min ECG was performed to assess heart rate variability (HRV). Twenty-four patients were enrolled. LV global longitudinal strain improved by 1.8 +/- 0.9% during active LLTS compared to sham stimulation (p = 0.001). Relative to baseline, HRV frequency domain components (low frequency, high frequency, and their ratio) were favorably altered after LLTS compared to sham stimulation (all p < 0.05). We concluded that LLTS acutely ameliorates cardiac mechanics by modulating the autonomic tone. Trial registration: NCT02983448.