Clinical Trial: Cognitive Dysfunction in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Origins of Cognitive Dysfunction in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

Brief 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 Summary:

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.

Sponsor: Vanderbilt University

Current Primary Outcome: Standing Digits Backwards Test [ Time Frame: In the standing position for approximately 15 minutes. This is a cross-sectional study with no follow-up. ]

This is a continuous variable that will provide a measure of attention with orthostatic stress.


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome: Cognitive Domain Score (CDS) [ Time Frame: At seated and standing. This is a cross-sectional study without follow-up. All assessments are performed on a single day. ]

The CDS will consist of

1: Seated memory (Randt Short Story subtes, Paired words subtes and Digits Forward) and standing memory (Randt short story, paired words and digits forward).

2. Seated Complex Attention (Ruff, SDMT, Trails A, Randt, Digits Backward) and standing complex attention (Randt digits backward) 3. Executive functioning only while standing (Stroop, Trails) 4. Seated and standing verbal fluency (COWA).



Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Vanderbilt University

Dates:
Date Received: February 17, 2011
Date Started: March 2011
Date Completion:
Last Updated: August 15, 2016
Last Verified: August 2016