Electrophysiology News and Research

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Research study links partial epilepsy to the disruption of brain development during early childhood

A form of partial epilepsy associated with auditory and other sensory hallucinations has been linked to the disruption of brain development during early childhood, according to a study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

24 Aug 2009

Mount Sinai Medical Center physicians pioneer a non-surgical procedure for treating LAA

Physicians at The Mount Sinai Medical Center were the first in the country to perform a non-surgical procedure using sutures to tie off a left atrial appendage (LAA), which is the source of blood clots leading to stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib). AFib is the most common sustained heart-rhythm disorder in the United States.

24 Aug 2009

Fainting may point to more serious, underlying cardiovascular condition

For those who suffer from fainting spells, the mysterious episodes can be quite scary. Far too often, fainting is chalked up to stress or other mental health issues. However, medical experts at Rush University Medical Center say that reoccurring fainting spells, also known as syncope, could be an important symptom that can point to a more serious, underlying cardiovascular condition.

10 Aug 2009

Big disparities in the treatment of arrhythmias across Europe

The latest statistics regarding the use of pacemakers and implantable cardiac devices in Europe was presented on Sunday 21 June, at EUROPACE 2009, the meeting of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) which takes place in Berlin, Germany from 21 to 24 June.

22 Jun 2009

Type of physician certification associated with risk of complications from ICDs

Patients whose implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are implanted by nonelectrophysiologists are at increased risk of complications and are less likely to receive a specific type of ICD when clinically indicated, according to a study in the April 22/29 issue of JAMA.

22 Apr 2009

Fluorescent anesthetic compound brings new avenues for drug discovery

A collaboration of University of Pennsylvania and University of Wisconsin chemists and anesthesiologists have identified a fluorescent anesthetic compound that will assist researchers in obtaining more precise information about how anesthetics work in the body and will provide a means to more rapidly test new anesthetic compounds in the search for safer and more effective drugs.

6 Apr 2009

New understanding of how anger can ventricular arrhythmias

New research published in the March 3, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finds that anger-induced electrical changes in the heart can predict future arrhythmias in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs).

23 Feb 2009

Rhythm abnormality of unknown origin strongly predicts sudden death risk in heart disease patients

Researchers conducting a large, ongoing study to improve detection and prevention of sudden cardiac death were surprised to discover that a specific heart rhythm abnormality – idiopathic QT interval prolongation – increased risk five-fold among patients with coronary artery disease.

2 Feb 2009

New set of controls for stem cells discovered

Natural changes in voltage that occur across the membrane of adult human stem cells are a powerful controlling factor in the process by which these stem cells differentiate, according to research published by Tufts University scientists.

3 Dec 2008

Robotic navigation systems in electrophysiology

Catheter ablation is still associated with a substantial amount of complications, and more failure then sometimes reported. Perforation with catheters is especially important in atrial fibrillation. Robotic navigation could reduce these complications.

1 Sep 2008

Researchers measure movements smaller than one-billionth of a meter in ion channels

Each thought or action sends a million electrical signals pulsing through your body. At the heart of the process of generating these electrical impulses is the ion channel.

10 Jul 2008

New journal - Circulation: Heart Failure

The American Heart Association has named the editor of Circulation: Heart Failure, its second of the planned six-publication extension to the weekly flagship journal, Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The journals will be published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

7 May 2008

Malfunctioning kidneys may raise risk of sudden death in women

Women whose kidneys are poor at filtering impurities from the blood are at heightened risk of sudden cardiac death, according to a report published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

8 Apr 2008

iPods and similar devices found not to affect pacemaker function

Last May, a widely reported study concluded that errant electronic noise from iPods can cause implantable cardiac pacemakers to malfunction.

31 Mar 2008

Women with implantable cardioverter defibrillators fare less well than men

While ICDs—implantable cardioverter defibrillators—are the device of choice to manage abnormal heart rhythms, a new study led by cardiologists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine suggests that women with ICDs fare less well than their male counterparts.

6 Nov 2007

Cryoablation for treating arrhythmias

When out-of-control nerve impulses cause the heart to beat irregularly, cardiologists often use heat during a minimally invasive outpatient procedure to destroy the defective signaling pathways and restore the rhythm to order.

17 Sep 2007

Third factor identified in obesity-induced Type 2 diabetes

In cases of Type 2 diabetes, the body's cells fail to appropriately regulate blood glucose levels.

30 Aug 2007

Boston Scientific and CryoCor collaborate in atrial fibrillation

CryoCor, Inc. and Boston Scientific Corporation have announced a strategic collaboration in the field of cryoablation, or the use of extreme cold, for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

29 Jun 2007

Researchers identify a function of neuregulin1 - impact on schizophrenia

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) researchers have identified a function of neuregulin1 (NRG1), a gene previously linked to schizophrenia but whose role in the disease was unknown.

28 May 2007

Estrogen fluctuation affects epileptic seizures

In more than a third of women with epilepsy, seizures fluctuate across the menstrual cycle, due in part to continually fluctuating effects of estrogen on the neural circuitry in the hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in learning and memory - and in epileptic seizures.

1 May 2007