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Brain Volume and Cardiac Function in Heart Failure

Patients with heart failure (HF) exhibit greater structural brain alterations and higher dementia risks than the general population. Neural atrophy in nearly every region of medical limbic circuit has been observed in HF patients. Reduction of cerebral blood flow has been suggested as the pathophysiological pathway linking HF and structural brain changes. Indeed, lower cardiac index levels were related to lower cerebral blood flow in older adults without stroke, dementia, or heart failure. A few prior studies have examined the subcortical structural differences in patients with HF compared to controls. Brain volume loss (including putamen and hippocampal volumes) have been reported in patients with low ejection fraction. Significant gray matter loss was found in specific brain regions of HF patients and included structures that serve demonstrated roles in cognitive functions. In the investigator's previous study (Comprehensive Imaging Exam of Convalesced COVID-19 Patients - COVID-19 RELATED SUBMISSION-IRB00252436), involving 100 participants (volunteers with normal heart function (ejection fraction; 50%)), the investigators observed significant correlations between thalamic volumes and ventricular stroke volumes in volunteers. Building on these findings, the investigators intend to expand the research to include individuals with heart failure (HF), employing the same MRI protocol. The study will involve obtaining a set of T1-weighted brain images to measure the volumes of seven subcortical structures. The investigators goal is to explore the relationship between subcortical volumes and cardiac parameters. Additionally, the investigators will examine whether patients with HF experience a more rapid reduction in subcortical volumes compared to those with normal cardiac function (EF;50%).