Ischemic brain infarcts, white matter hyperintensities, and cognitive impairment are increased in patients with Atrial Fibrillation

The prevalence of ischemic brain infarcts and WMH is higher in patients with AF than without AF despite comparable comorbidities. AF is associated with lower cognitive function, primarily through a direct effect rather than mediated by brain lesions.

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Journal
Communications Medicine
Published
2026-01-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-026-01389-w
Primary Topic
Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Ischemic brain infarcts, white matter hyperintensities, and cognitive impairment are increased in patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Sandra Vitelli, Tatiana Terrot, Jane Frangi-Kultalahti, Désirée Carmine et al.
Communications Medicine
Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes
article

Ischemic brain infarcts, white matter hyperintensities, and cognitive impairment are increased in patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Sandra Vitelli, Tatiana Terrot, Jane Frangi-Kultalahti, Désirée Carmine, Fabienne Foster, Andreas U. Monsch, Pascal B. Meyre, Dominik Weishaupt, Schiller AG Baar, Serena Staglianò, Francois Regoli, Patrick Badertscher, Tanja Flückiger, Giorgio Moschovitis, Juerg Fuhrer, Rebecca Peronaci, Sandrine Salzmann, David Altmann, Jan Novak, Study nurses, Priska Zuber, Ian Russi, Karl-Olof Lovblad, Leo H. Bonati, Katrin Studerus, Cristina Camporini, Karin Fink, Kantonspital Baden, Daniel Hayoz, Noreen Tynan, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale Lugano, Principal Investigator, David Conen, Lukas Ehrsam, Bürgerspital Solothurn, Pia Neuschwander, Matthias Schwenkglenks, Heinrich Mattle, Francois Lazeyras, for the Swiss-AF Investigators eMBA, Corinne Friedli, Carole Elodie Aubert, Adriana Anesini, Martina Ronchi, Patrizia Assunta Mayer Melchiorre, Michael Coslovsky, Jessica Meier, Fiona Schlomowitsch, Sven Hellrigl, Luzerner Kantonsspital, Elise Guillermet, Angelo Auricchio, Martine Rime, Urs Fischer, Luisa Vicari, Roger Dillier, Denise Hischier, Sandrine Foucras, Simon Jung, Jonas Villinger, Andreas S. Müller, Manuel Hürbin, Anna Altermatt, Elisavet Moutzouri, Raban Jeger, Giulio Conte, Alessandra Pia Porretta, Stefanie Aeschbacher, Rebecca E. Paladini, Michèle Deubelbeiss, Hôpital Cantonal Fribourg, Frank-Peter Stephan, Isabel Juchli, Ruben Kerler, Maria Luisa De Perna, Esther Ruberte, Nico Ruckstuhl, Cardiocentro Lugano, Claudia Liedtke, Local Principal Investigators, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Adrian Schweigler, Alain Bernheim, Tobias Reichlin, Elia Rigamonti, Patrick Simon, Christian Baumann, Jürg H. Beer, Martin Feller, Michael Amann, Peter Sporns, Karin Scheuch, Samira Murugiah, Christine S. Zuern, Local Principal Investigator, Jens Würfel, Cindy Groen, Christine Franzini, Nicole Bonetti, Carlo Cereda, Corinne Girroy, Dipen Shah, Patrick Perret, Marco Duering, Nathalie Schwab, Mathieu Firmann, Laurent Roten, Daniel Hofer, Brigitta Mehmann, Marcel Frick, Philippe Tavel, Philipp Krisai, Rylana Wenger, Benjamin Berte, Kathrin Bühler, Claudio Schneider, Gian Völlmin, Frauke Kellner-Weldon, Jasmin Roth, Felix Mahfoud, Caroline Wiederkehr, Franz Eberli, Raffaele Peter, Ramun Schmid, Virgina Justi, Seraina Netzer, Peter Ammann, Christian Sticherling, Stefan Osswald, Sonja Meier, Steffen Blum, Jürg-Hans Beer, Hervé Gallet, Nicolas Rodondi, Luise Adam, Drahomir Aujesky, Axel Loewe, Helena Aebersold, Vanessa Zuber, Kai Schmidt, Alessandro Cianfoni, Alain Thöni, Alexandra Nuoffer, Marcello Di Valentino, Xiaoye Schneider, Jürg Schläpfer, Myriam Roth, Silke Kuest, Vincent Meier, Andrea Grêt, Christian Müller, Elisa Hennings, Eva Laube, Augusto Gallino, Georg Ehret, Maria Luce Caputo, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale Bellinzona, Stefanie Leuenberger, Melanie Koch, Michael Kühne, Damiana Rakovic, Christine Meyer-Zürn, Amir Jadidi, Franziska Rutz, Richard Kobza, Petra Huber, Jacqueline Nadler, Tim Sinnecker, Nikki Rommers, Tu Hanh Zarrabi Saffari, Marie Méan, Andrea Ruckli-Kaeppeli, Ludvig Dahlheim, Alexandra Grau, Mabelle Young, Stadtspital Triemli Zurich, Andreas Gasser, Marco Düring, Nathalie Lauriers, Michaela Gemperle, Anica Pin, Roman Brenner, Thayze Obst
article en

Abstract

The prevalence of ischemic brain infarcts and WMH is higher in patients with AF than without AF despite comparable comorbidities. AF is associated with lower cognitive function, primarily through a direct effect rather than mediated by brain lesions.

Communications MedicineVol. 6(1)
University of Bern (CH), University of Basel (CH), University of Zurich (CH), Kantonsspital St. Gallen (CH), Triemli Hospital (CH), University Hospital of Bern (CH), University Hospital of Basel (CH), Population Health Research Institute (CA), Hospital Base (CL), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (CH), Ospedale San Giovanni Bellinzona (CH), University Hospital of Zurich (CH), Fribourg Development Agency (CH), University Hospital of Geneva (CH), Felix Platter-Hospital (CH), Luzerner Kantonsspital (CH), Solothurner Spitäler (CH), Hôpital Nestlé (CH), Reha Rheinfelden (CH), Amt für Gemeinden und Raumordnung (CH), McMaster University (CA)
National Science Foundation, Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, Universität Basel, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Schweizerische Herzstiftung
Openalex Percentile: Top 78%
Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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