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Advances in magnetic resonance imaging research on the "epileptic heart" based on the brain-heart axis
LIU Wei  RAN Haifeng  ZHANG Tijiang 

Cite this article as: LIU W, RAN H F, ZHANG T J. Advances in magnetic resonance imaging research on the "epileptic heart" based on the brain-heart axis[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2026, 17(10): 195-201, 234. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.10.024.


[Abstract] Epilepsy is not merely a neurological disorder; it can also induce structural, functional, and electrophysiological abnormalities of the heart via the brain-heart axis, giving rise to the concept of the "epileptic heart" and increasing the risk of arrhythmias and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. In recent years, advances in the concepts of the brain-heart axis and integrated brain-heart imaging have expanded the application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in neurological and cardiovascular disorders. Emerging studies have demonstrated the feasibility of combined brain-heart MRI for evaluating cerebral and cardiac alterations in patients with cardiovascular diseases, particularly heart failure, offering a promising imaging framework for elucidating multisystem interactions. Nevertheless, although epilepsy is increasingly recognized as a disorder involving brain-heart axis dysfunction, MRI-based comprehensive characterization of brain-heart injury in patients with epilepsy remains insufficient, and systematic evidence in this emerging field is lacking. A comprehensive review is therefore warranted to summarize current advances and highlight future research directions.This article reviews the neural mechanisms, pathophysiology, MRI advances, and the potential of simultaneous brain-heart imaging in the context of the epileptic heart, analyzes current research limitations, and discusses future directions for combined brain-heart MRI. The aim is to provide a theoretical foundation for applying MRI to integrated brain-heart evaluation in epilepsy, and to inform the development of imaging strategies for concurrent brain-heart assessment, thereby facilitating early detection, risk stratification, and individualized management of epilepsy-related cardiac injury.
[Keywords] neurological disorders；epilepsy；brain-heart axis；magnetic resonance imaging；epileptic heart

LIU Wei1   RAN Haifeng1   ZHANG Tijiang1, 2*  

1 Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China

2 Bijie Medical College, Bijie 551700, China

Corresponding author: ZHANG T J, E-mail: tijzhang@163.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2026-05-12
Accepted  2026-08-21
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.10.024
Cite this article as: LIU W, RAN H F, ZHANG T J. Advances in magnetic resonance imaging research on the "epileptic heart" based on the brain-heart axis[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2026, 17(10): 195-201, 234. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.10.024.

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