Brain zaps for heart calm: new trial tests neurofeedback for anxious heart patients
NCT ID NCT07244484
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a brain-training technique called neurofeedback can help people with both heart disease and anxiety control their heart rate during stress. 56 adults will either receive real or fake (sham) neurofeedback while their brain activity and heart rate are measured. The goal is to see if training a specific brain area can reduce stress-related heart rate spikes.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 56 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2025
- Expected to finish
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May 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age \>18 years, any sex. * Right-handed, with resting heart rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute. * Confirmed diagnosis of CHD, defined as at least one of the following: (i) positive stress test; (ii) documented myocardial infarction (MI) with electrocardiographic changes and concurrent elevation of creatine kinase MB isoenzyme or troponin; (iii) angiographically confirmed coronary atherosclerosis with ≥50% stenosis in at least one coronary artery. * Diagnosis of an anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). * Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) score ≥16 and 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) score ≤17. Exclusion Criteria: * Acute unstable angina. * Severe congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association \[NYHA\] class IV). * Valvular heart disease. * History of atrial fibrillation. * Unstable blood pressure, defined as systolic blood pressure \>180 mmHg or \<90 mmHg. * Pregnancy. * History of unstable medical conditions, including cerebrovascular disease, dementia, hyperthyroidism, pulmonary disease, or malignancy. These are assessed through medical history, electronic health records, physical examination, and ECG findings. * High risk of suicide or homicide. * Presence of other psychiatric disorders, including psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, or active substance use disorders. * Use of psychotropic medication within 1 month prior to enrolment, to avoid potential interference with haemodynamic measurements.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenyang Medical College
RECRUITINGShenyang, Liaoning, 110001, China
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a smartphone app calm anxiety and protect the heart?
- Could a Sleep-Focused therapy ease depression, anxiety, and PTSD?