Neurocardiology: Cardiovascular Changes and Specific Brain Region Infarcts

Abstract

There are complex and dynamic reflex control networks between the heart and the brain, including cardiac and intrathoracic ganglia, spinal cord, brainstem, and central nucleus. Recent literature based on animal model and clinical trials indicates a close link between cardiac function and nervous systems. It is noteworthy that the autonomic nervous-based therapeutics has shown great potential in the management of atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmia, and myocardial remodeling. However, the potential mechanisms of postoperative brain injury and cardiovascular changes, particularly heart rate variability and the presence of arrhythmias, are not understood. In this chapter, we will describe mechanisms of brain damage undergoing cardiac surgery and focus on the interaction between cardiovascular changes and damage to specific brain regions.

Stress and Inflammation in Coronary Artery Disease: A Review Psychoneuroendocrineimmunology-Based

“…It is well known that acute injury occurring in the central nervous system (both in cortical regions and in the brainstem) is linked to transient or permanent myocardial and/or arrhythmic damage. Ischaemic damage to the insular cortex, in particular right-sided lesions, is associated with arrhythmic alterations (atrial fibrillation, atrioventricular block, ectopic beats, sinus bradycardia), inverted T wave, sudden cardiac death, altered diurnal blood pressure, and myocardial injury, as well as elevated plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide, catecholamines, and sympathetic neuropeptide Y (NPY) ( 102 ). NPY is released as ancillary neuropeptide from the sympathetic nerves of the heart during very high rates of nerve firing.…”

Cerebrovascular insufficiency and amyloidogenic signaling in Ossabaw swine with cardiometabolic heart failure

“…Indeed, the WD-AB swine displayed an enhanced MAPK pathway activation concurrently with a reduction in brain mass (wet weight), indicative of neurodegeneration. With respect to the heart-brain axis ( 26 , 27 ), Gene Ontology analysis of the stellate ganglia revealed an enrichment of several gene signatures associated with MAPK/ERK signaling and AD, highlighting the systemic nature of this disease phenotype. Given that brain samples from patients with AD and transgenic rodent models display higher levels of phosphorylated JNK, ERK, and p38 ( 66 – 68 ), and cardiac transcriptomic data from patients with HFpEF display enhanced MAPK signaling as well as an enrichment in gene networks associated with AD ( 69 ), it is conceivable that MAPK pathway activation contributes to the cardiogenic dementia profile.…”

“…Specifically, we investigated indices of cerebral blood flow control in vivo as well as pial and brain parenchymal artery vasomotor control in isolated cerebral arterioles ex vivo. Further, because it interfaces with the heart-brain axis (26,27), we examined the transcriptomic profile in the stellate ganglia. Last, given the established role of aberrant mitogenic signaling in AD pathology (28)(29)(30)(31), transcriptomic profiling of the stellate ganglia was coupled with examination of MAPK pathway activation as well as key regulators of the generation of the β-amyloid peptide in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.…”

Brain and heart‐specific death in cancer patients: Population‐based study

“…9,10 Neurocardiology has emerged as a discipline that deals with how the brain and the heart interact: the effects of heart damage on the brain and brain damage on the heart. 11,12 Byer et al stated for the first time that cerebral vascular damage could cause myocardial damage. 13 The sub-speciality in cardiology is now called neurocardiology.…”