Altered Interhemispheric DLPFC Coordination and Cardiac Hyperreactivity During Multisensory Aversive Challenge in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss With Comorbid Anxiety
Altered Interhemispheric DLPFC Coordination and Cardiac Hyperreactivity During Multisensory Aversive Challenge in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss With Comorbid Anxiety: a Multicenter Simultaneous fNIRS-ECG Study (NEURO-CARD-fNIRS)
Shenyang Medical College
70 participants
Jun 30, 2025
OBSERVATIONAL
Conditions
Summary
This exploratory clinical study, NEURO-CARD-2, will use simultaneous functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electrocardiography (ECG) to investigate interhemispheric dysfunction in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and its association with autonomic sympathetic activation in women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and comorbid anxiety. Using a standardized multisensory aversive emotional stimulation paradigm, the study will assess cortical and cardiac responses within a Brain-Heart-Emotion interaction framework. The objective will be to identify neurobiological signatures of emotion-autonomic dysregulation in this population and to inform the future development of precision-targeted interventions.
Eligibility
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Interventions
Participants will undergo a standardized multisensory aversive stimulation paradigm during simultaneous fNIRS and ECG recording. The protocol will use a block design with 12 stimulation blocks, each comprising a 20 s resting phase followed by a 30 s multisensory stimulation phase. During stimulation, participants will view six negative high-arousal images per block selected from the Geneva Affective Picture Database, while concurrently being exposed to time-locked band-limited white noise calibrated to approximately 90 dB(A) and placing both hands on a 0.5 liter bottle filled with ice water maintained at approximately 0 °C. The auditory stimulus will have spectral energy restricted to 2-6 kHz. This standardized multisensory protocol will be used to elicit negative affect and sympathetic arousal.
Locations(3)
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NCT07045818