PACE Cognition Proof-of-Concept Study

Cardiac pacing may improve cognition by restoring physiologic heart rates, enhancing cerebral perfusion, and improving overall cardiovascular function in patients with symptomatic bradycardia who require permanent pacemaker implantation. In current clinical practice, the lower pacing rate is commonly programmed to 60 beats per minute, which is below the normal resting heart rate in many adults.

PACE Cognition is a proof-of-concept study evaluating the impact of physiologic pacemaker programming on cognitive function and health status. Patients requiring permanent pacemaker implantation for bradycardia will be screened before device implantation. Interested and eligible patients will provide written informed consent before any study-specific procedures are performed.

Baseline cognitive and health-status assessments will be completed before pacemaker implantation. Cognitive function will be assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a brief standardized screening instrument that evaluates multiple cognitive domains, including memory, attention, language, visuospatial ability, executive function, and orientation. Health status and functional well-being will be assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire, including the mental component summary score.

Participants will be randomized to either standard pacing at 60 beats per minute or individualized physiologic rate pacing between 60 and 90 beats per minute using the myPACE algorithm. Follow-up Montreal Cognitive Assessment and SF-36 assessments will be repeated at the routine 3-month pacemaker clinic visit to evaluate changes in cognitive performance and health status between the pacing strategies.

Inclusion criteria

• Patient requiring a pacemaker for bradycardia

Exclusion criteria

• Vulnerable adult unable to give consent
• Unable to answer questionnaire
• Children
• Pregnant women/persons
• Prisoners
• Adults lacking capacity to consent or adults with diminished or fluctuating capacity to consent
• Non-English speakers
• Individuals unable to read
• Employees or students of the researcher
• Active members of the military or DoD personnel