Sympathetic Nerve Activity Recorded From the Skin and Cardiac Arrhythmias

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The broad and long-term objective of this research project is to use, develop and market an instrument for the simultaneous recording of sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and electrocardiogram (ECG) using electrodes on the skin. This method (neuECG) was discovered in Dr. Chen's research laboratory at the Krannert Institute of Cardiology, and a patent application has been filed by Indiana University. Arrhythmotech LLC was developed to further advance this concept and we propose that neuECG has a significant commercial value by providing a new non-invasive tool for arrhythmia prediction and detection. Sympathetic tone is important in cardiac arrhythmogenesis. Heart rate variability analyses and microneurography recordings are standard techniques to assess sympathetic tone. However, these techniques have multiple limitations. The neuECG was developed to record ECG and nerve activity simultaneously on the skin of human subjects. In collaboration with Dr. Chen's lab, we hav