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Updated: May 28, 2026

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
08:10

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: July 20, 2022

Exploring Associations Between Early Cognitive Impairment and Echocardiographic Markers in Middle-Aged Patients with

Borislava Atanasova1,2, Mariya Tokmakova2,3, Angel M Dzhambov4

  • 1Department of Neurology, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Clinics and Practice
|May 26, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Middle-aged patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and cardiometabolic issues show early cognitive decline, especially in memory and spatial skills. Echocardiography did not reveal links to these cognitive deficits.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) and cardiometabolic diseases are linked to cognitive decline.
  • These associations are understudied in middle-aged populations.
  • Early detection of cognitive impairment in AF patients is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate early cognitive impairment in middle-aged AF patients.
  • To explore links between cardiometabolic comorbidities and cognitive function.
  • To assess associations with echocardiographic markers.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty-six middle-aged AF patients (45-65 years) underwent clinical, echocardiographic, and neuropsychological assessments (MoCA, CERAD).
  • A control group of 58 individuals without cardiometabolic disease was included.
  • Cognitive function was compared between groups.

Main Results:

  • AF patients with cardiometabolic comorbidities exhibited subtle cognitive deficits, particularly in episodic memory and visuospatial functions.
  • These deficits were present even in individuals with normal MoCA scores.
  • No correlation was found between cognitive performance and standard echocardiographic parameters in the AF group.

Conclusions:

  • Cardiometabolic impairment is associated with subtle cognitive impairment in middle-aged AF patients.
  • Conventional echocardiography markers did not predict cognitive deficits.
  • More sensitive biomarkers of atrial structure and function are needed to understand cognitive impairment in AF.

Keywords:
atrial fibrillationdementiaechocardiographyleft atrial remodelingmild cognitive impairmentneuropsychological assessment

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