Characterization of Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Stress Cardiomyopathy

Stress (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy (SC) is a peculiar form of acute, reversible myocardial dysfunction predominantly affecting the apical and mid left ventricular segments. In this institution over the last two to three years the investigators have identified more than a dozen patients with stress cardiomyopathy. The investigators' overarching goal is to characterize these individuals with the hope of identifying risk factors and developing strategies to prevent the occurrence of SC in situations where the likelihood in susceptible individuals may be high.