INTRODUCTION: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), also known as stress cardiomyopathy or "broken heart" syndrome, is a mysterious condition that often mimics an acute myocardial infarction. Both are characterized by left ventricular systolic dysfunction. However, this dysfunction is reversible in the majority of TTS patients. PURPOSE: Recent studies surprisingly demonstrated that TTS, initially perceived as a benign condition, has a long-term prognosis akin to myocardial infarction. Therefore, the health consequences and societal impact of TTS are not trivial. The pathophysiological mechanisms of TTS are not yet completely understood. In the last decade, attention has been increasingly focused on the putative role of the central nervous system in the pathogenesis of TTS. CONCLUSION: In this review, we aim to summarize the state of the art in the field of the brain-heart axis, regional structural and functional brain abnormalities, and connectivity aberrancies in TTS.

1st Department of Neurology St Anne's University Hospital Brno Czech Republic

Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology University Hospital Brno Brno Czech Republic

Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

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