Rajesh Kumar1,
Mary A. Woo2, Paul M. Macey2, Gregg C. Fonarow3,
Ronald M. Harper1
1Neurobiology,
University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; 2UCLA
School of Nursing, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA,
United States; 3Cardiology, University of California at Los
Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Heart failure (HF) patients show gray matter and axonal deficits in multiple brain sites; however, it is unknown whether the structural changes are accompanied by acute or chronic tissue pathology. Those changes can be differentiated by mean diffusivity (MD) procedures. We assessed HF subjects with MD procedures, and found increased MD values in multiple brain sites, including limbic, basal ganglia, thalamic, hypothalamic, and cerebellar regions, compared to control subjects, indicating chronic tissue changes in these areas. The pathological mechanisms contributing to chronic injury in HF may include perfusion or hypoxic processes accompanying the condition.