Brain volume linked to cardiac index in Framingham Offspring study

Systemic hypoperfusion due to cardiac dysfunction can cause cerebral hypoperfusion and subclinical brain injury. Researchers evaluated over 1500 participants in the Framingham Offspring Cohort with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cardiac MRI, neuropsychological profile and laboratory profile. They found a positive correlation between cardiac index derived from cardiac MRI and total brain volume and information processing speed. There was an inverse relation with volume of the lateral ventricle. They hypothesise that decreasing cardiac function is associated with accelerated brain aging (Circulation 2010;122:690-697).