NCT01366963

Cognitive Dysfunction in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

Origins of Cognitive Dysfunction in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 60 (actual)
• Sponsor: Vanderbilt University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

A common complaint among people with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is "brain fog" or difficulty concentrating. This is very poorly understood. To better understand this cognitive dysfunction, the investigators will test people with POTS and people without POTS using various neuropsychiatric instruments. The investigators hypothesis is that people with POTS will have greater abnormalities on neuropsychiatric testing than normal controls.

Detailed description

Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a disorder that affects an estimated 500,000 people in the United States alone and is an important source of disability in young adults. It shows a strong predilection for females. POTS is a form of orthostatic intolerance characterized by an excessive increase in heart rate (\>30 bpm) on assuming the upright position associated with orthostatic symptoms, but in the absence of orthostatic hypotension. Their symptoms of dizziness, nausea, tremor, chronic fatigue and exercise intolerance make even simple activities of daily living exhausting prospects. Brain fog or cognitive dysfunction is a common and almost universal complaint among persons with POTS. There is a lack of pathophysiological understanding to this cognitive dysfunction and is also a major roadblock to the development of effective therapies for people with POTS. The purpose of this study is to better define the cognitive dysfunction seen in patients with POTS. We will use a series of validated neuropsychological tools in order to characterize POTS cognitive dysfunction and compare this data to age and gender matched control subjects. Specific Aims: 1. To assess whether POTS patients have more neuropsychological abnormalities than control subjects during seated assessments. 2. To assess whether POTS patients have more neuropsychological abnormalities than control subjects during assessments while standing. 3. To ascertain the phenomenology of any neuropsychological deficits distinguishing POTS patients from controls.

Conditions

• Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Seated Measurements	The following measurements will take place in a seated position: Ruff 1 \& 7 (visual search and attention processes) Trails A \& B (Tests of scanning, mental flexibility and executive processes) Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)(attention and psychomotor speed) Stroop Test (naming response to certain stimuli) Verbal Fluency (COWA) Randt Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR)
BEHAVIORAL	Standing Measurements	The following will be measured in a standing position (at least 5 minutes) Orthostatic Vital Signs Randt Paired Words Subtest Digits Forward and Backward Alternate COWA test
BEHAVIORAL	Self-Administered Surveys	Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) Cognitive-Somatic Anxiety Questionnaire (CSAQ) Subjective Neurocognitive Inventory (SNI)

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-03-01
• Primary completion: 2015-06-01
• Completion: 2015-06-01
• First posted: 2011-06-06
• Last updated: 2016-08-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States