Clinical Report: Trends and Key Areas of Research on the Heart-Brain Axis via MRI

Overview

This bibliometric study analyzes 6,446 articles on the heart-brain axis (HBA) from 1984 to 2025.

Background

The heart-brain axis (HBA) is crucial for understanding the interplay between cardiovascular and neurological health, particularly as cardiac dysfunction can influence brain development. Advances in MRI technology have facilitated the exploration of this relationship.

Data Highlights

The bibliometric analysis included 6,446 articles, with strong concordance between the Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed datasets (Pearson r = 0.988, R2 = 0.976).

Key Findings

• Four primary clusters identified: Technology & Development, Function & Regulation, Risk & Pathology, and Hemodynamics & Perfusion.
• High-TLS keywords included 'MRI' (TLS = 2799), 'functional connectivity' (TLS = 1,224), 'dementia' (TLS = 1,425), and 'hemodynamics' (TLS = 1,036).
• The United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom were the leading contributors to HBA research.
• Prominent institutions included the University of Toronto and Harvard Medical School.
• Recent keywords such as 'artificial intelligence' indicate technological advancements in the field.

Clinical Implications

The findings from this bibliometric analysis provide insights into research trends within the heart-brain axis.

Conclusion

This study provides a systematic overview of research trends in the heart-brain axis.

Related Resources & Content

1. Frontiers in Neurology, 2026 -- Mapping fMRI research in disorders of consciousness: a bibliometric study
2. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2026 -- Research trends and knowledge mapping of transcranial direct current stimulation in depression: a bibliometric study based on web of science, Scopus, and PubMed (2000-2025)
3. Frontiers in Neurology, 2026 -- Assessment of cerebral hemodynamics in patients with acute brain injury: a group-based multivariate trajectory approach
4. 2024 Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Stroke: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
5. Frontiers in Medicine — Brain connectomics: a comprehensive mapping and analysis of brain connectivity in health and disease
6. Incidence of silent cerebral events detected by MRI in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing pulsed field ablation vs thermal ablation: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
7. Cardiovascular imaging reveals pathways linking cardiovascular risk factors to brain aging and cognition - UK Biobank
8. 2024 Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Stroke: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association