Syncope, Blood Injury Phobia, Autonomic Dysfunction
Conditions
Keywords
syncope, faint, blood, blood injury phobia, phobia
Brief summary
We plan to study patient who faint in response to the sight of blood and compare them to healthy subjects who do not. We are going to use a special type of MRI scan (functional MRI) to determine if there are differences in brain activation in response to seeing bloody or gory pictures that occur before the fainting occurs.
Detailed description
Another aim of the study is to determine whether or not differences in personality traits among people with blood phobia is associated with differences in BOLD signal responses during fMRI.
Interventions
PROCEDUREfMRI Scan
Subjects will undergo a functional MRI scan of the head lasting \ 45 minutes. They will be repeatedly shown video clips of blood, other disgusting things, or are neutral.
Sponsors
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Vanderbilt University
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* 18-30 years of age * 1\. History of at least one syncopal episode upon exposure to viewing blood (Case Group) * Negative urine pregnancy test on study day
Exclusion criteria
* Vasoactive medications (within 2 weeks of study day) * antihypertensives * beta blockers * vasoconstrictors * Psychotropic medications (within 4 weeks of study day) * History of psychostimulant or opiate use * History of alcohol, benzodiazepine or cannabis abuse or dependence
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| fMRI BOLD signal | Immediate |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Blood Injection Symptoms Scale | Single visit |
| Disgust Scale (Revised) | Single Visit |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed