Published July 11, 2022
0 views Journal article Open Access Open Access

The Emerging Role of Combined Brain/Heart Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Evaluation of Brain/Heart Interaction in Heart Failure.

Creators

  • 1. Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, 17674 Athens, Greece.
  • 2. Department of Internal Medicine A (Division of Cardiology, Angiology, Nephrology and Intensive Medical Care), University Hospital Ruppin-Brandenburg (UKRB) of the Medical School of Brandenburg (MHB), Fehrbelliner Strasse 38, D-16816 Neuruppin, Germany.
  • 3. Medical Faculty, Martin Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Strasse 8, D-06112 Halle (Saale), Germany.
  • 4. Department of Adult Cardiology, Mitera General Hospital, Hygeia Group, 15123 Athens, Greece.
  • 5. Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece.
  • 6. Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece.
  • 7. Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece.
  • 8. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  • 9. Iaso Children's Hospital, 15123 Athens, Greece.
  • 10. Laikon Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece.
  • 11. First Cardiac Clinic, Hippokration Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece.
  • 12. Euromedica Medical Clinic, 54645 Thessaloniki, Greece.
  • 13. Clinic for Assessment of Adolescent Learning Difficulties, Center for Adolescent Medicine and UNESCO Chair in Adolescent Health Care, First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece.

Description

Heart failure (HF) patients frequently develop brain deficits that lead to cognitive dysfunction (CD), which may ultimately also affect survival. There is an important interaction between brain and heart that becomes crucial for survival in patients with HF. Our aim was to review the brain/heart interactions in HF and discuss the emerging role of combined brain/heart magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation. A scoping review of published literature was conducted in the PubMed EMBASE (OVID), Web of Science, Scopus and PsycInfo databases. Keywords for searches included heart failure, brain lesion, brain, cognitive, cognitive dysfunction, magnetic resonance imaging cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging electroencephalogram, positron emission tomography and echocardiography. CD testing, the most commonly used diagnostic approach, can identify neither subclinical cases nor the pathophysiologic background of CD. A combined brain/heart MRI has the capability of diagnosing brain/heart lesions at an early stage and potentially facilitates treatment. Additionally, valuable information about edema, fibrosis and cardiac remodeling, provided with the use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance, can improve HF risk stratification and treatment modification. However, availability, familiarity with this modality and cost should be taken under consideration before final conclusions can be drawn. Abnormal CD testing in HF patients is a strong motivating factor for applying a combined brain/heart MRI to identify early brain/heart lesions and modify risk stratification accordingly.
Enabled by The Lens

Open Access

Publisher Website Access full text