Key result
Takotsubo syndrome links to persistent amygdalar hyperactivity and impaired autonomic-emotional brain connectivity.
Why the study?
Brain-heart interactions play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of Takotsubo syndrome, but the structural and functional brain features involved are not fully characterized.
Evidence from neuroimaging studies reveals persistent structural and functional brain abnormalities in autonomic and emotional regulation networks in Takotsubo syndrome, supporting the pivotal role of brain-heart interactions.
Takotsubo syndrome is featured by transient left ventricular dysfunction typically triggered by emotional or physical stress. Growing evidence supports a pivotal role of brain-heart interactions in its pathophysiology. Structural neuroimaging studies have identified reduced cortical thickness and gray matter volume in limbic and autonomic regulatory regions, including the insula, cingulate cortex, and amygdala. Functional imaging studies, including 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET and functional MRI, have demonstrated persistent amygdalar hyperactivity, altered limbic system activity, and widespread hypoconnectivity within autonomic and emotional regulation networks. Importantly, several of these abnormalities appear to persist long after recovery of cardiac function.
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Santoro et al. (2026) conducted a review in Takotsubo syndrome. Structural and functional neuroimaging in Takotsubo syndrome demonstrates persistent amygdalar hyperactivity and hypoconnectivity in autonomic and emotional regulatory networks.
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