| " UK scientists have shown that signals from these areas can destabilise the cardiac muscle of someone who already has heart disease. " "The cerebral cortex may play a significant role in these events by becoming involved in a vicious circle" " This is designed to maximise blood flow, so that the body is primed to take quick action. " " However, it had been thought that this change was due to signals from more primitive areas of the brain. " " In the latest study researchers at University College London and the Brighton and Sussex Medical School studied 10 patients with specific heart conditions. " " Electrical changes at the surface of the skull were measured while the patients performed a mildly stressful task - counting backwards in sevens. " " The results showed that activity in the 'higher level' regions of the brain, such as the cortex closely reflected the response measured in the heart. " " The measurements also suggested that a "feedback loop" was established, with these centres reacting to information being fed back from the heart by pumping out more signals to increase activity. " " Ultimately, this destabilised the heart muscle, raising the possibility of abnormal and potentially dangerous rhythms, which can cause sudden death in vulnerable patients. " " Researcher Dr Marcus Gray said: "We found
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