Abstract 17667: Local Atrophy of Parahippocampal Gyrus is Prominent in Heart Failure Patients Without Dementia
Introduction: The exacerbation of heart failure (HF) induces brain damage and the cognitive impairment that attenuates the effects of treatment. The medial lateral lobe of brain, including parahippocampal gyrus, is known to reduce its volume in patients with cognitive disorder especially in Alzheimer’s disease. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans identify morphological changes in the brains of patients with HF. Therefore, the Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) of three-dimensional brain MRI may contribute to predict the potential risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) of patients with HF. Hypothesis: The severity of local atrophy of parahippocampal gyrus, a potential risk of MCI, is prominent in heart failure patients without dementia. Methods: Ten HF patients (age 72+/-15 years, NYHA class II, EF43+/-15 %) and 9 control (age 76+/- 8 years) were enrolled. Patients with dementia were excluded from this study. Three dimensional T1 weighted sagittal images of whole brain were taken using 1.5T MRI. Image analysis was performed to evaluate the severity of local brain atrophy of gray matter using 2mm VBM by the software based on statistical parametric mapping. The Z-score value of volume of interest (VOI) was calculated to evaluate the severity of atrophy in parahippocampal gyrus. Results: The severity of total brain atrophy was similar between HF (8.3+/-3.4%) and control (8.0+/-4.1%). However, as shown in the figure of representative cases, the Z-score value of VOI (pink circle), reflecting the severity of atrophy in parahippocampal gyrus (white arrows), was larger in HF patients group (1.4+/-0.7) in comparison with control group (0.8+/-0.4, P=0.034). The Z-score value was not correlated with age, ejection fraction, left atrial dimension, left ventricular dimensions, or BNP in HF group. Conclusions: In patients with HF, atrophy in parahippocampal gyrus was prominent in comparison with control. Patients with heart failure have potential risk of MCI and dementia.