Atrial Fibrillation Accelerates Brain Atrophy

Dr. Arnar also presented preliminary results from an ongoing brain perfusion imaging study conducted in patients with atrial fibrillation before and after direct-current cardioversion. Among 17 patients who responded to cardioversion by achieving sinus rhythm and maintaining it for at least 10 weeks until their follow-up MRI, total cerebral blood flow improved by a mean of 70 mL/min from a precardioversion figure of 557 mL/min. Both white and gray matter perfusion improved by a mean of 16%. In contrast, the 10 patients who remained in atrial fibrillation despite the cardioversion attempt showed no improvement on any of these three end points over the 10 weeks.

—Bruce Jancin