Venous Congestion Validation study

Venous congestion due to elevated central venous pressure (CVP) contributes to impaired organ function. In fact, it may be even more important than arterial hypoperfusion as it impedes drainage of blood flow, resulting in accumulation of deoxygenated blood, causing cell damage and increased fibrosis, as shown for kidney and liver function(1-3) . It is, however, completely unknown if this also applies to the brain. Still, it has recently been shown that venous abnormalities are related to structural brain changes seen in cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). Jugular vein reflux measured by Duplex, which is related to CVP (4) might be related to white matter changes(5) and to increased intracranial pressure(6). Therefore, we hypothesize that elevated CVP and venous congestion might be related to structural and functional abnormalities of the brain independently of cardiac output. By analyzing the MRI data from the Heart -Brain Connection study (multicenter CVON research), we have the unique opportunity to address this clinically highly relevant question. However, assessment of CVP and venous congestion by MRI has not yet been validated.

We hypothesize that MRI measurements of flow and structure of superior vena cava is capable to estimate venous congestion with sufficient accuracy.

One visit only.

Not applicable