Cerebral Hemodynamic and Metabolic Studies in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

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Abstract
The pathogenesis of the mental symptoms encountered in some patients with congestive heart failure has never been clearly elucidated. It was the purpose of this study to determine whether the supervention of such symptoms is associated with alterations in cerebral blood flow or metabolism. Twenty-four confused cardiac subjects were studied by the N2O technique; the values obtained were compared with those in the same persons when lucid and with those in cardiac patients without mental symptoms. The results indicate that there is a profound reduction in cerebral perfusion in those confused individuals and probably, a decrease in cerebral utilization of oxygen. It is suggested that this perfusion defect is related to a decline in cardiac output.