Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
Brain Infarct Segmentation and Registration on MRI or CT for Lesion-symptom Mapping
Published on: September 25, 2019
Left ventricular dysfunction is associated with cerebral grey matter injury: an in-vivo brain MRI segmentation study
Pratik Bhattacharya1, Fen Bao, Megha Shah
1Comprehensive Stroke Program, Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. pdbhatta@med.wayne.edu
Insights
Reduced heart systolic function may be linked to brain gray matter injury in heart failure patients. Further research is needed to confirm this association and explore underlying mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Heart failure commonly presents with cognitive impairments.
- The link between cardiac systolic function and brain gray matter damage remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and cerebral gray matter volume.
- To determine if systolic dysfunction in heart failure is associated with brain structural changes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized SIENAX (v2.2) software for automated brain volume extraction and gray/white matter segmentation.
- Analyzed T1-weighted spin-echo axial MRI sequences.
- Compared subjects with low left ventricular ejection fraction (<50%) to those with normal ejection fraction (≥50%).
Main Results:
- A modest correlation (r=0.51, p=0.06) was observed between gray matter volume and low left ventricular ejection fraction.
- No significant correlation was found between white matter volumes and low left ventricular ejection fraction.
- Mean gray matter volume was slightly lower in the low ejection fraction group (507.4±166.3 ml) compared to controls (541.3±167.2 ml), though not statistically significant (p=0.57).
Conclusions:
- Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction may be associated with cerebral gray matter injury.
- Larger studies incorporating multi-modal MRI and neuropsychological testing are recommended.
- Further research is needed to elucidate potential mechanisms linking cardiac function to brain health.
Background And Purpose:
Patients with heart failure often experience cognitive deficits. The relationship between systolic function and cerebral gray matter injury is unclear.
Methods:
An automated program SIENAX (v2.2) was used to extract brain volume and for segmentation of grey and white matter in subjects with low left ventricular ejection fraction (< 50%) and normal ejection fraction (≥ 50%). T1-weighted spin-echo axial sequences were used for analysis.
Results:
14 cases with low left ventricular ejection fraction and 14 age-matched controls were evaluated. A modest correlation between grey matter volume and low left ventricular ejection fraction was demonstrated (r=0.51, p=0.06), not seen with white matter volumes. The mean grey matter volume was 507.4±166.3 ml in the low left ventricular ejection fraction group and 541.3±167.2 ml in the control group (p=0.57).
Conclusion:
Low left ventricular ejection fraction may lead to cerebral grey matter injury. Larger studies including multi-modal MRI and neuropsychological assessments are warranted to explore potential mechanisms.
