Study of the Autonomic Nervous System in ME/CFS involving experimental interventions - now recruiting patients with POTS at Vanderbilt Autonomic Dysfunction Center in Nashville

The study (ClinicalTrials.gov ID#: NCT00580619) involves several arms addressing various tests/interventions and is designed to help determine “Does the sympathetic nervous system contribute to the cardiovascular and inflammatory abnormalities present in ME/CFS, and particularly in the subset of patients characterized by POTS?”

For complete details of the study and contact information, see the ClinicalTrials.gov listing for the study.

Individuals interested in participating in this and other studies at the Vanderbilt Autonomic Dysfunction Center will be asked to fill out a preliminary Autonomic Dysfunction Screening Questionnaire regarding symptoms at the Center’s Website. This site is also a rich source of basic information on the subjects of dysautonomia, orthostatic intolerance (the most frequently encountered form of dysautonomia), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and more.

As they explain:
“Orthostatic intolerance affects an estimated 500,000 Americans and causes a wide range of disabilities. OI is also the most frequently encountered dysautonomia, accounting for the bulk of patients referred to centers specializing in autonomic disorders. It is a disorder that more frequently affects young women (female-to-male ratio at least 4:1), often less than 35 years of age. Most of these patients experience an excessive heart rate increase when they stand. This heart rate increase is a sign that the cardiovascular system is working hard to maintain blood pressure and blood flow to the brain in the presence of a disordered cardiovascular regulation. Other than essential hypertension, OI is the most common disorder of blood pressure regulation.”