THE PERCEIVING HEART: A QUR'AN-INSPIRED SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF CARDIAC SENSORY NEURITES, THE INTRINSIC CARDIAC NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND HEART-BRAIN INTEROCEPTION IN PSYCHOCARDIAC DISEASE (Qur'an 22:46, 13:28)

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Systematic Review. Population: Psychocardiac disease and heart-brain interoception. Intervention: Psychological stress, depression, and stroke across the heart-brain axis. Primary outcome: Psychocardiac clinical outcomes (CAD, post-MI mortality, troponin elevation, and arrhythmia).

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

The heart functions as a sensory organ bidirectionally integrated with the brain via the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and afferent interoceptive pathways that mediate psychocardiac diseases. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

HAFZA SIMRAN ALI; FARHAD NAEEM

doi:10.5281/zenodo.23194102

October 7, 2026Open Access

THE PERCEIVING HEART: A QUR'AN-INSPIRED SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF CARDIAC SENSORY NEURITES, THE INTRINSIC CARDIAC NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND HEART-BRAIN INTEROCEPTION IN PSYCHOCARDIAC DISEASE (Qur'an 22:46, 13:28)

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Why the study?

This review examined cardiac sensory neurites, the intrinsic cardiac nervous system, and heart-brain interoception in psychocardiac disease inspired by Qur'anic concepts of the perceiving heart.

Key Points

To synthesize neurocardiological evidence on the intrinsic cardiac nervous system, afferent heart-brain pathways, and their role in psychocardiac disease.
PRISMA 2020 systematic review searching PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science from 2010 to 2026.
Screened 650 unique records and included 67 published studies covering anatomy (n=22), neural pathways (n=18), and psychocardiac conditions (n=27).
The intrinsic cardiac nervous system comprises approximately 40,000 neurons, and 80% of vagal fibers are afferents projecting via the nucleus tractus solitarius to the insula.
Depression increases coronary artery disease risk by 40% to 60% and doubles post-myocardial infarction mortality.
Acute stroke causes elevated troponin in 15% to 20% of patients and cardiac arrhythmias in 25% within 72 hours.

Study Design

Type

Systematic Review

Structured PICO

P

Population

Systematic review of 67 included studies (22 anatomy, 18 pathways, 27 psychocardiac) from 2010-2026 evaluating the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and psychocardiac disease.

O

Outcome

Characterization of cardiac sensory neurites, the intrinsic cardiac nervous system (ICNS), and heart-brain interoception in psychocardiac disease

Limitations

Review of published literature only with no new patient data.
Review of published literature only with no new patient data

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Implication

This systematic review synthesizes neurocardiology literature on the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and heart-brain axis in psychocardiac conditions such as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, stroke-heart syndrome, and depression-associated CAD, drawing parallels to Qur'anic concepts.

Abstract

THE PERCEIVING HEART: A QUR'AN-INSPIRED SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF CARDIAC SENSORY NEURITES, THE INTRINSIC CARDIAC NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND HEART-BRAIN INTEROCEPTION IN PSYCHOCARDIAC DISEASE (Qur'an 22:46, 13:28) Abstract: Background: The Qur'an states "It is not the eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts in the breasts" (22:46) and "In remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest" (13:28). Neurocardiology reveals cardiac sensory neurites and intrinsic cardiac nervous system (ICNS) with ~40,000 neurons. Methods: PRISMA 2020, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, WoS 2010-2026. Terms: intrinsic cardiac nervous system, cardiac sensory neurites, heart-brain axis, insula, HRV, stroke-heart syndrome, Takotsubo. From 980 records, 650 screened after duplicates, 200 full-text assessed, 67 included (Anatomy 22, Pathways 18, Psychocardiac 27). Review of published literature only, no new patient data, no ethics required. Results: ICNS contains sensory, motor, interneurons in ganglionated plexi. 80% vagal fibers are afferent. Pathways via nucleus tractus solitarius to insula. Right insula sympathetic, left parasympathetic. Depression increases CAD 40-60% and post-MI mortality 2x. Stress triggers Takotsubo and AF. Stroke causes troponin 15-20% and arrhythmia 25% within 72h. Conclusion: Heart is sensory organ integrated with brain, modern anatomy parallels Qur'anic concept. Keywords: Qur'an, Qalb, ICNS, cardiac sensory neurites, heart-brain axis, PRISMA Authors: ALI HAFZA SIMRAN, FARHAD NAEEM File includes: Main manuscript + PRISMA diagram + Search strategy + Data extraction table License: CC BY 4.0

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Cite This Study

ALI et al. (2026) conducted a systematic review in Psychocardiac disease and heart-brain interoception. Psychological stress, depression, and stroke across the heart-brain axis was evaluated on Psychocardiac clinical outcomes (CAD, post-MI mortality, troponin elevation, and arrhythmia).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6ae28e0ecbadf70daf6c40a2 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23194102

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THE PERCEIVING HEART: A QUR'AN-INSPIRED SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF CARDIAC SENSORY NEURITES, THE INTRINSIC CARDIAC NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND HEART-BRAIN INTEROCEPTION IN PSYCHOCARDIAC DISEASE (Qur'an 22:46, 13:28)

Key Points

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Limitations

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THE PERCEIVING HEART: A QUR'AN-INSPIRED SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF CARDIAC SENSORY NEURITES, THE INTRINSIC CARDIAC NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND HEART-BRAIN INTEROCEPTION IN PSYCHOCARDIAC DISEASE (Qur'an 22:46, 13:28)

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Limitations

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Implication

Abstract

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