Evaluation of the results of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain for cognitive impairment in patients with heart failure: A review

Abstract

Cognitive impairment is a very common comorbidity in patients with heart failure (HF). Patients with HF show signs of memory decline, difficulty concentrating, and attention deficits. Cognitive dysfunction in HF is associated with a poor prognosis. However, the diagnosis of cognitive impairment in heart failure has received insufficient attention in routine clinical practice. Neuropsychological screening tests are available to screen for cognitive impairment, but they are used infrequently. Therefore, it is of practical interest to search for magnetic resonance equivalents of cognitive disorders. The use of magnetic resonance imaging as a tool for identifying and quantifying neural correlates of cognitive functions is discussed.

Keywords

• heart failure
• magnetic resonance imaging
• cognitive impairment
• left ventricular ejection fraction
• cerebral perfusion
• brain white matter hyperintensities
• gray matter atrophy