Aberrant static and dynamic functional network connectivity in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is associated with cognitive impairment.
• Brain functional alterations may underlie cognitive deficits in HFpEF patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate static and dynamic functional network connectivity (FNC) alterations in HFpEF.
• To explore the relationship between altered FNC and clinical features in HFpEF.

Main Methods:

• Utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 35 HFpEF patients and 35 healthy controls (HCs).
• Applied independent component analysis (ICA) for resting-state networks (RSNs) and performed FNC analyses.
• Correlated FNC findings with clinical HFpEF parameters.

Main Results:

• HFpEF patients exhibited decreased FNC in default mode, left, and right frontoparietal networks compared to HCs.
• Increased FNC was observed in the right frontoparietal and visual networks in HFpEF.
• Decreased dynamic FNC correlated negatively with left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters.

Conclusions:

• Functional network connectivity disruption and altered temporal dynamics in HFpEF suggest neural mechanisms of brain injury.
• These findings contribute to understanding the neurological impact of HFpEF.