Brain Volume and Cardiac Function in Heart Failure
Johns Hopkins University
Summary
Patients with heart failure (HF) exhibit greater structural brain alterations and higher dementia risks than the general population. Neural atrophy in nearly every region of medical limbic circuit has been observed in HF patients. Reduction of cerebral blood flow has been suggested as the pathophysiological pathway linking HF and structural brain changes. Indeed, lower cardiac index levels were related to lower cerebral blood flow in older adults without stroke, dementia, or heart failure. A few prior studies have examined the subcortical structural differences in patients with HF compared to controls. Brain volume loss (including putamen and hippocampal volumes) have been reported in patients with low ejection fraction. Significant gray matter loss was found in specific brain regions of HF patients and included structures that serve demonstrated roles in cognitive functions. In the investigator's previous study (Comprehensive Imaging Exam of Convalesced COVID-19 Patients - COVID-19 RELATED SUBMISSION-IRB00252436), involving 100 participants (volunteers with normal heart function (ejection fraction; 50%)), the investigators observed significant correlations between thalamic volumes and ventricular stroke volumes in volunteers. Building on these findings, the investigators intend to expand the research to include individuals with heart failure (HF), employing the same MRI protocol. The study will involve obtaining a set of T1-weighted brain images to measure the volumes of seven subcortical structures. The investigators goal is to explore the relationship between subcortical volumes and cardiac parameters. Additionally, the investigators will examine whether patients with HF experience a more rapid reduction in subcortical volumes compared to those with normal cardiac function (EF;50%).
Description
Heart failure (HF) is a multifaceted clinical syndrome characterized by the heart's inability to effectively pump blood to meet the body's demands. This condition often results from various structural or functional cardiac disorders, impacting not only the heart but also multiple organ systems, including the brain, kidneys, lungs, and circulatory system. Patients with heart failure present a spectrum of symptoms that significantly affect quality of life, such as dyspnea and fatigue, and are typically identified by cardiac dysfunction markers like abnormal left or right ventricular filling and…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 21+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Individuals with an ejection fraction (EF) below 50% who are willing to * provide informed consent. * Not claustrophobia. * Age: 21 years and above. * Ambulatory patients are eligible. Exclusion Criteria: * Known allergy to gadolinium contrast agents * Metal fragments in eyes, brain, or spinal cord * Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) 45 mL/min (using the Cockcroft-Gault formula) * Pregnancy * Internal electrical devices, such as cochlear implant, spinal cord stimulator, pacemaker, or defibrillator * Presence of any other history or condition that the investigator feels…
Interventions
- OtherMagnetic Resonance Imaging with or without Contrast
Completion of Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain, heart, lungs, and liver with and without contrast.
Locations (2)
- Johns Hopkins Center for Advanced Imaging and Research Science, Johns Hopkins Science + Technology Park at 1812 Ashland Avenue, Baltimore, MDBaltimore, Maryland
- Johns Hopkins HospitalBaltimore, Maryland