Vascular homeostasis and mental stress: sympathetic activity and nNOS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Mechanisms leading to an impairment of vascular homeostasis during mental stress: interaction between sympathetic activity and neuronal nitric oxide synthase
IRAS ID
168545
Contact name
Philip J Chowienczyk
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study examines a novel pathway that links mental activity such as that encountered during normal working life to responses in the cardiovascular system: the enzyme neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) releases the molecule nitric oxide (NO) in response to activation of a centre in the brain. NO has a number of protective properties and therefore an impairment of this pathway could adversely affect cardiovascular health. The full pathway is still unclear and this study aims to examine this in more detail using a combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain and measurements of the response of the cardiovascular system. A particular objective is to understand 1) whether an impaired release of NO that may be associated with some risk factors for cardiovascular disease is due to over-activity of the sympathetic nervous system - the part of the "automatic" nervous system that controls cardiovascular function and 2) whether variation in release of NO is mainly due to variation in responses in the brain or in peripheral arteries.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/1173
Date of REC Opinion
8 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion