[Early ECG changes after experimental focal cerebral ischemia. A pathogenetic hypothesis of the brain-heart syndrome]

Primary CVT alterations and arrhythmias, occurring one hour after embolization were detected in several experiments about focal cerebral ischaemia in rabbits. 62 animals were fed on a standard diet and 15 on an atherogenic diet. Primary CVT alterations and arrhythmias occurred in 4 rabbits fed on a standard diet and in 6 rabbits fed on an atherogenic diet. These results gave statistic evidence of a relationship between more frequent and serious electrocardiographic alterations and an atherogenic diet. The information coming out of these experiments are discussed. Considering the data coming out of other experiments and the data of the literature it is supposed that the pathogenesis of "the cerebro-cardiac syndrome" is linked to several biohumoral alterations occurring after the stroke. If these alterations occur in animals (or in subjects) with damaged coronary arteries cardiac alterations occurring after the stroke are greater and more important than the cardiac alterations occurring in the same conditions in the animals in which coronary arteries are not jet damaged.