The heart-brain axis in the context of cardiovascular disease.

Abstract

The heart-brain axis forms an important physiological network, which is increasingly gaining recognition due to its involvement in cardiac function under steady-state conditions and pathological modifications of the heart in cardiovascular disease. Neurological disorders are known to affect cardiac function by propagating structural alterations in the heart. On the other hand, cardiovascular events have detrimental effects on the central nervous system affecting several brain regions, such as the hippocampus, which is important for cognition. Several anatomical regions of the brain, such as cortical and subcortical forebrain structures, regulate cardiovascular functions via the autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which are parts of the autonomic nervous system, play a crucial role in cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular disease, such as myocardial infarction (MI), activates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to exaggerated cardiac remodeling and subsequent arrhythmias. MI also alters afferent sensory neurons affecting nociceptive neurotransmission. This review focuses on the significance of the heart-brain axis and summarizes recent studies in this arena.