Table 1.

Neuropathological abnormalities in patients with AF

Infarction Autopsy Gross cortical and subcortical infarcts64–67 Absence of neuritic plaques65 and neurofibrillary tangles67 Brain imaging (CT/ MRI) Silent cortical infarction32–44,50 More in persistent AF as compared to paroxysmal AF35 Subcortical infarction32–34,45,46 Severe periventricular white matter lesions/ hyperintensities45–47 Cerebral microbleeds54–63Decreased brain volume Decrease in total cerebral volume Adjusted for infarction,34,48,49 ApoEε434,48 Greater decrease in permanent as compared to paroxysmal AF49 Decrease frontal lobe volume,48 adjusted for ApoEε4 Decrease hippocampal volume Decreased cerebral perfusion52,53FDG hypometabolism Absence of Alzheimer’s disease pattern34

AF, atrial fibrillation; CT, computed tomography; FDG, 18F-Deoxyglucose; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging.