RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Neuroscience and heart-brain medicine: The year in review
JF Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
JO Cleve Clin J Med
FD Cleveland Clinic
SP S34
OP S39
DO 10.3949/ccjm.77.s3.06
VO 77
IS 7 suppl 3
A1 David S. Goldstein
YR 2010
UL http://www.ccjm.org/content/77/7_suppl_3/S34.abstract
AB Important recent publications in the area of neuroscience and heart-brain medicine center largely around three topics: (1) mechanisms of cardiac sympathetic denervation in Parkinson disease, (2) cytoplasmic monoamine metabolites as autotoxins, and (3) the validity of power spectral analysis of heart rate variability to indicate cardiac sympathetic tone. Findings by Orimo et al support a centripetal, retrograde pathogenetic process involving alpha-synuclein deposition and degeneration of cardiac noradrenergic neurons in Parkinson disease. Several studies suggest that processes increasing cytoplasmic monoamines lead to neuronal loss from auto-oxidation or enzymatic oxidation. Lack of correlation between commonly used indices from power spectral analysis of heart rate variability and cardiac norepinephrine spillover casts doubt on the validity of power spectral analysis to indicate cardiac sympathetic tone.