CSF catecholamine profile in subarachnoid hemorrhage patients with neurogenic cardiomyopathy

Patients experiencing apoplectic intracranial processes may develop neurogenic cardiomyopathy (NC). The purpose of this research is to determine whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) catecholamine levels are elevated in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients with NC when compared to those without NC.

Observational study of consecutive grades 3-5 SAH patients requiring ventriculostomy. All patients underwent CSF sampling for catecholamine levels, and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to assess for NC, within 48 h of SAH onset. Univariate analyses were performed to identify clinical and laboratory variables associated with NC. Clinical variables associated with NC in the univariate analysis were entered into logistic regression models along with the candidate catecholamine variables to identify predictors of NC.

The study group contained 100 patients--mean age of study subjects was 58 years, 73% were female, and 15% developed NC. NC patients were more likely to have a worse clinical grade than patients without NC (80 vs. 34%, P = 0.001). NC patients possessed greater DOPA levels (5.83 vs. 4.60 nmol/l, P = 0.044), and a trend toward greater noradrenergic activity as determined by NE/DHPG ratio (0.3799 vs. 0.2519, P = 0.073). Multivariate analysis identified worse clinical grade (OR 7.09, P = 0.005) and possibly NE levels (OR 1.005, P = 0.057) as independent predictors of NC. Bivariate analysis reinforced the findings for NE (OR 1.006, P = 0.022), and also identified DOPA levels (OR 1.001, P = 0.034) and NE/DHPG (OR 22.18, P = 0.019) as predictors of NC.

SAH patients with NC tend to have greater CSF catecholamine levels than those without NC. However, the development of NC may also be related to factors not evaluated by our study.