Patent ID: 8073540

Claim:
An implantable heart stimulation device comprising: a stimulation pulse generator that emits stimulation pulses at an adjustable stimulation rate that is normally at a base rate; an implantable lead arrangement connected to the stimulation pulse generator configured to deliver the stimulation pulses to the heart of a patient; an activity sensor that detects an activity level of the patient and emits an activity signal representing said activity level; a physiological parameter sensor that detects a parameter representing a physiological characteristic of the patient and that emits a physiological sensor signal representing said parameter; and a control arrangement configured to receive a signal indicative of a heart rate of the patient and execute a stimulation rate algorithm to set the stimulation rate for said stimulation pulse generator, said control arrangement being configured to first determine whether the heart rate of the patient is below a predetermined heart rate and only if so to continue to execute said stimulation rate algorithm by determining whether said physiological sensor signal indicates an existence of emotional stress of the patient by being above a predetermined emotional stress threshold and, if so, to increase said stimulation rate to a predetermined emotional stress rate level and, if no increase in said activity signal occurs during a predetermined time period following increasing said stimulation rate, to decrease said stimulation rate substantially to said base rate and, if said activity level is above a predetermined activity level, to adjust said stimulation rate dependent on said activity level.