AccScience Publishing / BH / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/BH025430064
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Design and methodology of a multidimensional investigation of brain structure and function in women with suspected ischemia with no coronary artery disease

Arzu C. Has Silemek1,2 Janet Wei3 Jeffrey C. Wertheimer4 Oana Dumitrascu5 Yibin Xie2 Michael D. Nelson3,6 Binu P. Thomas7,8 Debiao Li2 Zaldy S. Tan9 Mitzi M. Gonzales1 Sarah Kremen1 Omar Al-Louzi1 Wei Gao2 Pascal Sati1,2 Cathleen Noel Bairey Merz3*
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1 Department of Neurology, Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
2 Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
3 Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
4 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
5 Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Scottsdale, Arizona, United States of America
6 Department of Kinesiology, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States of America
7 Department of Bioengineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States of America
8 Advanced Imaging Research Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
9 Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Departments of Neurology and Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Brain & Heart, 025430064 https://doi.org/10.36922/BH025430064
Received: 24 October 2025 | Revised: 15 April 2026 | Accepted: 16 April 2026 | Published online: 22 May 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Ischemia with no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA), often due to coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), disproportionately affects women and may be linked to cognitive impairment and increased risk of dementia. While CMD and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) share similar risk factors and may contribute to cognitive decline, the mechanistic pathways connecting these conditions in women remain unclear. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study with a planned enrollment of 100 women aged 18 years and older with symptoms of INOCA and suspected CMD, recruited from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation–Pre-Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03876223) and the Microvascular Aging and Eicosanoids–Women’s Evaluation of Systemic Aging Tenacity (MAE-WEST) (“You are never too old to become younger!”) Specialized Center for Research Excellence (SCORE) (U54AG065141) studies at Cedars–Sinai Medical Center and the University of Florida. Each participant underwent a comprehensive assessment protocol, including advanced brain magnetic resonance imaging to quantify markers of CSVD, cardiac MRI to evaluate CMD, non-mydriatic retinal imaging, peripheral vascular function testing, and an extensive battery of cognitive assessments. Clinical, sociodemographic, and vascular risk factor data were collected. We analyzed cross-sectional associations between multimodal imaging biomarkers and cognitive performance. This protocol describes the first multidimensional, imaging-based investigation to integrate assessments of CMD, CSVD, retinal microvasculature, and cognitive function in women at risk for INOCA. Findings will enhance our understanding of the shared vascular mechanisms underlying cognitive decline and inform strategies for early intervention in at-risk women.

Keywords
Heart
Brain
Cerebral small vessel disease
Cognition
Coronary microvascular dysfunction
Ischemia with no obstructive coronary artery disease
Magnetic resonance imaging
Retina
Funding
This work was supported by contracts from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institutes nos. N01-HV-68161, N01-HV-68162, N01-HV-68163, N01-HV-68164, grants U0164829, U01 HL649141, U01 HL649241, K23 HL105787, K23 HL125941, K23 HL127262, K23HL151867, T32 HL69751, R01 HL090957, 1R03 AG032631, R01 HL146158, R01HL124649, PR150224P1 (CDMRP-DoD), U54 AG065141, U54AG094168, GCRC grant MO1-RR00425 from the National Center for Research Resources, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Grant UL1TR000124, the Edythe L. Broad and the Constance Austin Women’s Heart Research Fellowships, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, the Barbra Streisand Women’s Cardiovascular Research and Education Program, Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, the Linda Joy Pollin Women’s Heart Health Program, the Erika Glazer Women’s Heart Health Project, and the Adelson Family Foundation, Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
Conflict of interest
Cathleen Noel Bairey Merz serves as a director and received stock in iRhythm. Janet Wei participates on the Advisory Board for Abbott Vascular Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction Advisory Board (paid to institution). Michael D. Nelson receives funding from an extramural grant organization for his research. These grants cover part of his time and effort, and payments are made to his institution. Mitzi M. Gonzales is supported by R01AG085571, R01AG089711, and R01AG077472. The remaining authors have no conflicts to disclose.
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Brain & Heart, Electronic ISSN: 2972-4139 Published by AccScience Publishing