Cognitive Deficits and Related Brain Lesions in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the spectrum of brain lesions seen in heart failure (HF) patients and the extent to which lesion type contributes to cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive deficits have been reported in patients with HF.

METHODS: A total of 148 systolic and diastolic HF patients (mean age 64 ± 11 years; 16% female; mean left ventricular ejection fraction 43 ± 8%) were extensively evaluated within 2 days by cardiological, neurological, and neuropsychological testing and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A total of 288 healthy, sex- and age-matched subjects sampled from the Austrian Stroke Prevention Study served as MRI controls.

RESULTS: Deficits in reaction times were apparent in 41% of patients and deficits in verbal memory in 46%. On brain MRI, patients showed more advanced medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) (Scheltens score) compared to controls (2.1 ± 0.9 vs. 1.0 ± 0.6; p < 0.001). The degree of MTA was strongly associated with the severity of cognitive impairment, whereas the extent of white matter hyperintensities was similar in patients and controls. Moreover, patients had a 2.7-fold increased risk for presence of clinically silent lacunes.

CONCLUSIONS: HF patients exhibit cognitive deficits in the domains of attention and memory. MTA but not white matter lesion load seems to be related to cognitive impairment.