Dataset Information

Clinical assessment, neuroimaging and immunomarkers in Chagas disease study (CLINICS): Rationale, study design and preliminary findings.

ABSTRACT: Chagas disease (CD) is an important cause of cardiomyopathy and stroke in Brazil. Brain infarcts and atrophy seem to occur independently of cardiomyopathy severity and cognitive impairment is understudied.

Objective

Compare the prevalence of brain magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities between patients with or without CD; determine if inflammatory biomarkers are increased in CD; and determine the efficacy of aspirin in reducing the rate of microembolization in these patients.

Methods

500 consecutive patients with heart failure will undergo a structured cognitive evaluation, biomarker collection and search for microembolic signals on transcranial Doppler. The first 90 patients are described, evaluated with cognitive tests and brain magnetic resonance imaging to measure N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), myo-inositol (MI) and creatine (Cr).

Results

Mean age was 55±11 years, 51% female, 38 (42%) with CD. Mean NAA/Cr ratio was lower in patients with CD as compared to other cardiomyopathies. Long-term memory and clock-drawing test were also significantly worse in CD patients. In the multivariable analysis correcting for ejection fraction, age, sex and educational level, reduced NAA/Cr (p=0.006) and cognitive dysfunction (long-term memory, p=0.023; clock-drawing test, p=0.015) remained associated with CD.

Conclusion

In this preliminary sample, CD was associated with cognitive impairment and decreased NAA/Cr independently of cardiac function or educational level.

SUBMITTER: Oliveira-Filho J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5618967 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul-Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Clinical assessment, neuroimaging and immunomarkers in Chagas disease study (CLINICS): Rationale, study design and preliminary findings.

Oliveira-Filho Jamary J Dias Jesângeli de S JS Jesus Pedro A P PAP Neto Nestor J S B NJSB Aras Roque R Reis Francisco J F B FJFB Furie Karen L KL

Dementia & neuropsychologia 20120701 3

Chagas disease (CD) is an important cause of cardiomyopathy and stroke in Brazil. Brain infarcts and atrophy seem to occur independently of cardiomyopathy severity and cognitive impairment is understudied.<h4>Objective</h4>Compare the prevalence of brain magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities between patients with or without CD; determine if inflammatory biomarkers are increased in CD; and determine the efficacy of aspirin in reducing the rate of microembolization in these patients.<h4>Methods ...[more]

PMID: 29213794

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Dataset Information

Clinical assessment, neuroimaging and immunomarkers in Chagas disease study (CLINICS): Rationale, study design and preliminary findings.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Clinical assessment, neuroimaging and immunomarkers in Chagas disease study (CLINICS): Rationale, study design and preliminary findings.

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