The Brain–Heart Axis in Health and Disease: Integrative Mechanisms and Clinical Translation

The brain–heart axis represents a rapidly evolving frontier at the interface of neurology and cardiology, reflecting the continuous, bidirectional crosstalk between the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system in health and disease. This crosstalk is clinically evident in both directions. On the one hand, acute neurological events—such as ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, seizures, and traumatic brain injury—frequently precipitate secondary cardiac complications, including neurogenic stunned myocardium, stress-induced (takotsubo) cardiomyopathy, and life-threatening arrhythmias. On the other hand, primary cardiac conditions—such as atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrest, and heart failure—are leading causes of brain injury, ranging from cardioembolic stroke and hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy to chronic cognitive impairment. Despite their high prevalence and clinical impact, the shared molecular mechanisms underlying this two-way organ crosstalk—particularly neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and cytokine signaling—remain incompletely understood. The IL-11 signaling pathway and other organ-cross-talk mediators have recently emerged as critical regulators of both cardiac remodeling and neurodegeneration. Meanwhile, nanomedicine and smart biomaterials offer unprecedented opportunities to target these shared pathways. Population aging further amplifies the clinical and public health urgency of addressing neuro-cardiovascular comorbidities, which are associated with substantial disability, mortality, and healthcare burden worldwide.This Research Topic aims to elucidate the integrative mechanisms of the brain–heart axis and, crucially, to accelerate the translation of these insights into clinically actionable strategies—spanning molecular intervention, bedside management, and population health. By convening experts in neurology, cardiology, neurocardiology, emergency and critical care medicine, nanomedicine, geriatrics, and epidemiology, we seek to foster innovative, clinically oriented research that addresses the full spectrum of neuro-cardiovascular disease, improves risk stratification and patient outcomes, and informs evidence-based care from bench to bedside to community.We welcome contributions on:(1) molecular and cellular mechanisms of brain–heart axis dysfunction, including cytokine signaling, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ferroptosis;(2) neuroinflammation and oxidative stress as shared drivers of neurological and cardiovascular pathology;(3) nanomedicine, nanozymes, and smart biomaterials targeting brain–heart pathways, including their preclinical and clinical translation;(4) the full clinical spectrum of neuro-cardiovascular disease—recognition, management, and outcomes—including but not limited to: emergency and critical care management of neuro-cardiovascular events (resuscitation, post-cardiac arrest care, ECMO); cardiac complications of acute neurological injury, such as stroke–heart syndrome, neurogenic stunned myocardium, and stress-induced (takotsubo) cardiomyopathy following stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or seizures; seizure-related cardiac arrhythmias (e.g., ictal asystole and arrhythmogenic mechanisms relevant to SUDEP); autonomic dysfunction and disorders of heart–brain regulation; and brain injury or cognitive impairment associated with cardiac disease and cardiac interventions (e.g., cardiac surgery, catheter ablation, device therapy);(5) aging, frailty, polypharmacy and medication safety, rehabilitation, and health-related quality of life in patients with neuro-cardiovascular comorbidities;(6) epidemiology, risk prediction modeling, prevention strategies, clinical trials, evidence-based guidelines, and public health interventions for neuro-cardiovascular comorbidities.Interdisciplinary studies integrating molecular biology with clinical data science are strongly encouraged. We welcome original research, reviews, clinical trials, case reports/series, and perspectives from both basic and clinical investigators. Topic editors: Haojun Fan, MINGQI ZHENG, Lizhen Ye, Jinrui Dong, Mingyang Liu, Menglong Li Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85496/the-brain-heart-axis-in-health-and-disease-integrative-mechanisms-and-clinical-translation