Volumetric brain MRI signatures of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in the setting of dementia

Bermudez, C., Kerley, C. I., Ramadass, K., Farber-Eger, E. H., Lin, Y. C., Kang, H., Taylor, W. D., Wells, Q. S., & Landman, B. A. (2024). Volumetric brain MRI signatures of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in the setting of dementia. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 109, 49–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MRI.2024.02.016

Researchers are investigating how heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) may affect brain structure in dementia patients. A study at Vanderbilt University Medical Center analyzed brain images from dementia patients with and without HFpEF, revealing that those with HFpEF showed significant atrophy in specific brain regions linked to emotion, sensory processing, and decision-making. This suggests that HFpEF could contribute to distinctive patterns of brain damage in dementia, highlighting the need for further research into targeted treatments for these patients.