Motivation Improves Recovery From Heart Attacks: Study

Researchers discovered that activating brain areas linked to motivation and positive outlooks significantly improved heart attack recovery in an animal study.Health care often focuses on treating diseases rather than considering the whole patient, neglecting psychological health and its impact on overall well-being. It’s well established that heart attack patients face both mental and physical complications, with their psychological state significantly affecting the disease’s course and prognosis.While the negative link between psychological and cardiovascular health is well-documented, could there be a positive connection? Can psychological health improve heart health? This is what researchers aimed to discover in a new animal study published Friday.Researchers found that activating areas of the brain responsible for motivation and positive outlooks improved recovery from a heart attack.“The study offers a mechanistic understanding of a phenomenon emerging from epidemiological studies,” Asya Rolls, a psychoneuroimmunologist and associate professor at Technion Israel Institute of Technology, wrote in an email to The Epoch Times.The study, published in the July issue of Nature Cardiovascular Research, explored the mechanisms linking the brain’s reward system with cardiovascular health. The researchers were particularly interested in the brain structure called the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which is responsible for processing rewards.The VTA links objects and events to positive outcomes, encouraging behavior that seeks these rewards. This process relies on the release of neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine. Prior studies have shown that the reward system also influences the immune response, essential for tissue repair and healing after a heart attack.Motivation Promotes Healing and RecoveryTo explore how stimulating the brain’s reward system affects heart recovery, researchers activated dopamine neurons in the VTA of some mice but not others after inducing a simulated heart attack.Related StoriesOn the first day after the heart attack, both groups showed comparable heart damage. However, by Day 14, the VTA-activated mice showed significant improvements in their cardiac performance compared to control mice, demonstrating the positive effects of VTA activation on heart function and recovery.“We observed that VTA stimulation leads to improved remodeling processes and cardiac performance,” the researchers wrote in the study. In particular, the hearts of VTA mice showed reduced scar tissue formation, increased formation of new blood vessels, and improved heart function compared to control mice.They also discovered that these beneficial effects are mediated by changes in liver function, particularly through increased production and secretion of a protein produced by the liver called complement component 3 (C3).Although the researchers did not observe better survival outcomes in the VTA-stimulated mice compared to the control group within 15 days, they expect the surviving VTA mice will show better long-term survival with extended observation, given their improved cardiac performance.Role of Rewards in Cardiac RecoveryThe animal study uncovered how leveraging the body’s reward system can positively influence physiological processes crucial for healing. “Our results suggested a potential therapeutic approach that may improve AMI [acute heart attack] outcomes,” the researchers wrote, adding that their findings hold great promise for improving patient care, recovery, and treatment strategies once applied clinically.When asked about the possibility of replicating the study in humans, Ms. Rolls said, “Manipulations of the reward system in humans will take a while.” The study also suggests finding noninvasive ways to activate the brain’s reward system for immune response and tissue healing.“One way will be the use of noninvasive brain stimulations, which is an emerging field that will still take time to translate,” Ms. Rolls said. Other possible interventions include transcranial magnetic stimulation, focused ultrasound, and functional MRI-guided neurofeedback.Other studies have explored the role of motivation in cardiac patients’ recovery.For instance, one study found that higher motivation levels were linked to better exercise performance and outcomes, suggesting that enhancing motivation could improve cardiac rehabilitation benefits. Similarly, a 2022 systematic review found that motivational interviewing, a counseling intervention that boosts motivation toward health goals, has a positive impact on cardiac rehabilitation program outcomes.Potential Applications and Future DirectionsThe new study opens up possibilities for using the brain’s reward system to influence clinical disease outcomes beyond heart attacks by modulating the immune system. For instance, the same researchers have found in their previous studies that VTA activation in mice increased their immunity against bacterial infections and reduced tum