Sponsored by the National Institute on Aging                                                                                                           May 17, 2008
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Richard P. Sloan, Ph. D
Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons
E-mail: rps7@columbia.edu

Education:

Research and Interests:

Dr. Sloan’s work focuses on the impact of psychological factors on autonomic control of the cardiovascular system related to the development of coronary artery disease. A primary methodological approach to this area involves analysis of spontaneous oscillations of biological signals including heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration to produce noninvasive estimates of autonomic control. Current studies include research with cardiac transplant recipients and patients with left ventricular assist devices, in whom the nervous system connection between brain and heart has been disrupted, as well as in normal subjects. Other studies include trials to assess the impact of exercise and hostility reducing interventions on autonomic regulation of the cardiovascular system.

Fellows in this laboratory learn to administer several psychological inventories, principally those focused on hostility and work stress. They also become expert in the use of a battery of standard psychophysiological challenges including Stroop, mental arithmetic, cold pressor, and orthostatic tilt. Finally, fellows are given extensive training in time and frequency domain analyses of physiological signals, primarily heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration.