Researchers have linked areas of the brain with people who have takotsubo syndrome, also known as broken heart syndrome.
Researchers have discovered linked areas of the brain in people who have Takotsubo syndrome, also known as broken heart syndrome. The condition can lead to changes in brain activity that control the heart’s beating.
The medical community does not well understand the syndrome, and the physiological cascade of events leading to Takotsubo syndrome episode has been unclear until now. On Thursday, researchers at the University of Aberdeen released analysis from a study conducted to understand how these potentially fatal events affect more than just a patient’s heart.
“For years, we’ve known that there is a link between the brain and the heart, but the role this plays in Takotsubo has been a mystery. For the first time we’ve revealed changes in the brain regions that are responsible for controlling the heart and emotions. Further work will be required to determine if these changes cause Takotsubo syndrome,” Dr. Hilal Khan, clinical research fellow of the University of Aberdeen said about the goal of the study.
Khan continued, “We hope that with more research we can determine which treatments are the most effective. We already hope to explore the impact cardiac rehabilitation and psychotherapy have on the structure and function of the brain after Takotsubo to ultimately improve care of these patients.”
Broken heart syndrome has reached the headlines recently. The devastating news of the Uvalde, Texas mass school shooting in May affected one family beyond the fateful day. The Garcia family lost Irma Garcia, who gave her life to shield her students from harm. Two days later, Irma’s husband, Joe, succumbed to a fatal heart attack. Whether or not this was a case of Takotsubo syndrome is unclear, but the timing is indicative, and the family believes it is the case.
As the world experiences what seems like an endless stream of catastrophes, understanding the impact that emotion and stress can have on human physiology is increasingly important.
The Aberdeen researchers used an impressive data set to support the conclusion that physiological changes in the brain are linked to cardiac episodes. The team located 25 people who had experienced a Takotsubo event and gotten an MRI within five days of the event. These scans were compared to those of people with similar demographics and medical conditions to establish a comparative control group.
Taking a look at the MRI scans, the researchers identified a decreased number of neurological connections in several regions critical for emotions, language, stress response, cardiac function and overall thinking after a patient experiences a Takotsubo event. Specifically, changes were seen in the amygdala, basal ganglia, insula and thalamus. Adding merit to the findings, an enlargement of the thalamus and insula regions was found. The amygdala and brainstem appeared smaller in comparison to the control group scans.
The report was presented at the British Cardiovascular Society centenary conference in Manchester, England.
The findings could mark the first step to a full understanding of Takotsubo syndrome, but the journey might take a while. The next steps for the researchers will be to follow up on the 25 patients to find out how the brain’s physiology reacts post-episode, long term. Additional research will seek to determine whether the heart attack causes the observed brain changes or vice versa. As technology continues to improve in speed and efficacy, the answer to broken heart syndrome prevention could be within reach.
