The aim is to investigate whether optimizing patients' expectations towards the interventional treatment of atrial fibrillation (catheter ablation) leads to a lower disease-related impairment of the patients compared to the control group in the first three months after ablation (the so-called blanking period).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
60
A short (2-5 min) verbal intervention will be createad individually based on the expectation of the patient towards the procedure.
Evangelic Hospital Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westfalia, Germany
RECRUITINGWestdeutsches Herz- und Gefäßzentrum
Essen, Germany
RECRUITINGQuality of life (questionaire)
Quality of life of life will be compared between groups and between different time points (before versus 3 months after ablation) with "the atrial fibrillation effect on quality-of-life (AFEQT) questionnaire". An overall AFEQT score ranges from 0 to 100. A score of 0 corresponds to complete disability (or responding "extremely" limited, difficult or bothersome to all questions answered), while a score of 100 corresponds to no disability (or responding "not at all" limited, difficult or bothersome to all questions answered). Therefore, a positive change in score corresponds to improvement in AF symptoms.
Time frame: 3 months
Recurrence of atrial arrhythmias
Electrocardiographic documentation of any atrial arrhythmia with a duration \>30 sec
Time frame: 3 months
Recurrence of atrial arrhythmias
Electrocardiographic documentation of any atrial arrhythmia with a duration \>30 sec
Time frame: 12 months
Autonomic function (heart rate variability measurement)
Autonomic function will be assessed by heart rate variability measurement (low frequency and high frequency domain, root mean square of successive differences) to compare patients between groups and time points (before versus 3 months after ablation)
Time frame: 3 months
Atrial volume [ml/m2]
Atrial volume measured via echocardiography will be compared between groups and time points (before versus 3 months after ablation)
Time frame: 3 months
Left ventricular ejection fraction [%]
Left ventricular ejection fraction measured via echocardiography will be compared between groups and between time points (before versus 3 months after ablation)
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Time frame: 3 months
Inflammatory markers from blood samples
Inflammatory markers (including IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha TGF-beta, IL-1beta, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-1, CRP, MPO, NGF, S100B, ANP, FABP4) in blood samples measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays will be compared between groups and between time points (before versus 3 months after ablation)
Time frame: 3 months
Treatment expectations (questionaire)
Treatment expectations will be measured using the GEEE (Generic rating scale for previous treatment experiences, treatment expectations, and treatment effects) questionaire by Rief et al. and compared between groups and between time points (before versus 3 months after ablation / before versus 12 months after ablation). The subscale Generic rating scale for treatment expectations consists of three items that assess expectations towards treatment on a numeric rating scale with eleven response options (0-10); total scores of all three subscales combined range from 0-30 with higher scores indicating higher treatment expectations.
Time frame: 3 months, 12 months
Physical Activity (questionaire)
Physical activity will be measured will be compared between groups and time points (before versus 3 months after ablation) using the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ - short). The short version of the IPAQ is a 7-item questionnaire that assesses the types of intensity of physical activity and sitting time that people do as part of their daily lives. Open-ended questions surrounding individuals' last 7-day recall of physical activity are considered to estimate total physical activity min/week and time spent sitting. Interpretation: Three levels (categories) of physical activity are proposed: low, moderate and high.
Time frame: 3 months, 12 months
General quality of life (questionaire)
General quality of life of life will be compared between groups and between different time points (before versus 3 months after ablation) with "F-36 questionaire. SF-36 is a multi-domain instrument with 36 items to evaluate the health status and quality of life. It included 8 subscales (physical functioning, physical role functioning, bodily pain, general health perception, vitality, social functioning, emotional role functioning, and mental health), which yielded a Physical Component Summary (PCS) with score range 0-100 (higher score-better quality of life) and a Mental Component Summary (MCS) with score range 0-100 (higher score-better quality of life) in addition to subscale scores. The PCS scores are normalized to a mean of 50 and standard deviations of 10, based upon general US population norms. A positive change indicates improvement while a negative change indicates worsening of health status and quality of life.
Time frame: 3 months, 12 months
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale HADS (questionaire)
Hospital anxiety and depression will becompared between groups and time points (before versus 3 months after ablation) using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). It consists of 14 items rated zero to three on Likert scales, allowing computation of sub-scores for depression and anxiety symptoms. Subscores as well as total sum score will be applied.
Time frame: 3 months, 12 months
Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire CAQ (questionaire)
Cardiac anxiety will becompared between groups and time points (before versus 3 months after ablation) using the established Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire CAQ to determine cardiac anxiety, fear, avoidance and attention. The score ranges between 0 and 68 for the German version, with a greater score indicating elevated cardiac anxiety.
Time frame: 3 months, 12 months