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Abstract #1132

Cardiac MRI Reveals Progressive Abnormalities in Heart Shape and Function in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease

Stephen J. Sawiak1, 2, Nigel I. Wood3, Guido Buonincontri1, T Adrian Carpenter1, A Jennifer Morton3

1Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom; 2Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; 3Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom


Although incidence of heart disease is similar amongst those with and without Huntington's disease (HD), 30% of HD patients compared to 2% of non-HD sufferers will die from the disease. We examined the R6/2 mouse using cardiac MRI and found there are progressive abnormalities in morphology and function. We used a simple parameter of LV shape and showed the heart is more bent in disease carriers in this model.