Atrial cardiopathy and cognitive impairment

Sarah J Myers; Amado Jiménez-Ruiz; Luciano A Sposato; Shawn N Whitehead

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.914360

Atrial cardiopathy and cognitive impairment

Front Aging Neurosci. 2022 Jul 22:14:914360. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.914360. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Sarah J Myers¹, Amado Jiménez-Ruiz², Luciano A Sposato², Shawn N Whitehead¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
² Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University Hospital, Western University, London, ON, Canada.

Abstract

Cognitive impairment involves complex interactions between multiple pathways and mechanisms, one of which being cardiac disorders. Atrial cardiopathy (AC) is a structural and functional disorder of the left atrium that may be a substrate for other cardiac disorders such as atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF). The association between AF and HF and cognitive decline is clear; however, the relationship between AC and cognition requires further investigation. Studies have shown that several markers of AC, such as increased brain natriuretic peptide and left atrial enlargement, are associated with an increased risk for cognitive impairment. The pathophysiology of cognitive decline in patients with AC is not yet well understood. Advancing our understanding of the relationship between AC and cognition may point to important treatable targets and inform future therapeutic advancements. This review presents our current understanding of the diagnosis of AC, as well as clinical characteristics and potential pathways involved in the association between AC and cognitive impairment.

Keywords: atrial cardiopathy; atrial fibrillation; cognitive impairment; dementia; heart failure.

Publication types

Review