Coronary and Cerebral Microvascular Dysfunction in Neurological Diseases

Neurological and cardiovascular diseases are increasing in relative and absolute terms globally, and pose a major burden in terms of morbidity, mortality, quality of life and healthcare costs. Increasing evidence has been found that disorders of blood circulation in the smallest vessels of the heart and the brain share similar risk factors as well as mechanisms but evidence about the potential link between both remains scarce.

Therefore, this study wants to investigate whether in patients with acute first-time stroke, first-time generalized epileptic seizure or first-time transient global amnesia, impairment in microcirculation is found in the brain and in the heart within 72 hours after the onset of first symptoms. We also intend to examine differences in structural brain as well as cardiac health parameters and in blood biomarkers between patients with acute neurological diseases and healthy controls matched for age, sex and major cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes, smoking and high blood pressure. In addition, we will characterize the cohorts in terms of cognitive function and questionnaires on lifestyle and self-reported emotional functioning. We expect lower circulation in the smallest blood vessels in the brain and in the heart in patients with acute neurological diseases compared to healthy controls.

This pilot project is intended to demonstrate feasibility and initial results and thus serve as the basis for a larger clinical trial to improve long-term cerebral and cardiac health in patients with acute neurological diseases