ABSTRACT
Neurologic and psychiatric illnesses constitute an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. At the same time, patients with heart failure (HF) seem to present with higher rates of both neurologic and psychiatric conditions, compared to age-matched controls, having a direct and indirect impact on their clinical outcomes. In this chapter, we review the most common and debilitating neurologic and psychiatric comorbidities in HF patients and discuss their epidemiology, implications in clinical practice, diagnostic evaluation, and therapeutic approach. We begin with the discussion of cognitive impairment in HF patients, which involves the syndromes of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and delirium. Then, we discuss the most common psychiatric condition in HF patients, depression. We also present other neurologic and psychiatric illnesses potentially occurring in the HF patient, such as stroke and anxiety. Lastly, we conclude our chapter with controversies in the current literature, as well as opportunities for future research.
