Effect of Atrial Fibrillation and an Irregular Ventricular Response on Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Human Subjects

Abstract
Background— Although the hemodynamic changes associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) have been extensively studied, the neural changes remain unclear. We hypothesized that AF is associated with an increase in sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and that the irregular ventricular response contributes to this state of sympathoexcitation.