Highlights in clinical autonomic neurosciences: Brain volume and autonomic regulation

Advances in volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology are beginning to provide structural correlates to functional dysautonomic syndromes in the brain. This paper highlights several interesting recent discoveries in which measurable variations in general or regional subcortical or cortical brain volume corresponded to changes in blood pressure or heart rate. Although these MRI findings currently lack diagnostic value in routine clinical practice, they may provide important clues to the pathophysiology of autonomic disorders and to links between autonomic and cognitive disorders. If validated by further studies, they also have potential implications for the management of orthostatic hypotension, particularly when combined with hypertension.