Imagine your brain as a lively amusement park, full of different attractions and areas. In this study, scientists investigated the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV), the distribution of enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) in the brain, and cognitive function in patients with EPVS. They analyzed data from 199 patients and found that reduced HRV was associated with the formation and development of EPVS in specific brain regions (such as the basal ganglia) and was also linked to cognitive impairment. HRV measures such as rMSSD, PNN50, and LF/HF were identified as influencing factors. Interestingly, these findings suggest that for patients with HRV changes but without symptoms of the autonomic nervous system, positive interventions could potentially slow down the occurrence or progression of EPVS and cognitive impairment. Fascinating stuff! If you’re intrigued, check out the full research article for more detailed information.

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV), the brain distribution of enlarged perivascular space (EPVS), and cognitive impairment in patients with EPVS.Materials and methodsThe clinical and imaging data of 199 patients with EPVS were retrospectively analyzed. EPVS load in the basal ganglia (BG) and centrum semiovale (CS) regions were assessed using the Potter’s method. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between HRV, the brain distribution of EPVS and cognitive function in patients with EPVS. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to assess the predictive value of HRV for cognitive function in patients with EPVS.ResultsOf the 199 patients, 27 and 42 presented with severe BG-EPVS and cognitive impairment, respectively. Significant differences were observed in the root mean square of successive differences of normal-normal (NN) intervals for period of interest (rMSSD), the percentage of adjacent NN intervals greater than 50 ms (PNN50), and the ratio of low-frequency power (LF) to high-frequency power (HF) between the mild and severe BG-EPVS groups (P < 0.05). Patients who presented with and without cognitive impairment differed significantly in the standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN), rMSSD, PNN50, total power, LF, and LF/HF (P < 0.05). rMSSD (odds ratio [OR] 0.871, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.768–0.988) and LF/HF (OR 3.854, 95% CI 1.196–12.419) were independent influencing factors of BG-EPVS, and rMSSD (OR 0.936, 95% CI 0.898–0.976) was an independent influencing factor of cognitive impairment in patients with EPVS. The optimal cut-off point was 0.312, with an area under the curve of 0.795 (95% CI 0.719–0.872) for predicting cognitive impairment in patients with EPVS by rMSSD.ConclusionReduced HRV is involved in the pathophysiological mechanisms of the formation and development of BG-EPVS and is associated with cognitive impairment in patients with EPVS, independent of CS-EPVS. For patients with HRV changes but without autonomic nervous system symptoms, positive intervention may slow the occurrence or progression of EPVS and cognitive impairment in patients with EPVS.

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