
MEMORY-COVID study aims
There is growing evidence that myocardial injury is seen in a large number of patients with COVID-19 infections. Although there have been cases of patients infected by COVID-19 presenting with heart failure, it remains unknown whether this is a result of:
- Myocarditis
- Stress cardiomyopathy
- Acute coronary syndrome
- Coronary heart disease
- Myocardial injury related to multi-organ failure.
As a result, the underlying mechanism, immediate treatment & long-term impact remains unknown.
More importantly, this will impact how the team manages patients in clinical practice. The study's outcomes will:
- Improve the team's understanding of the underlying mechanisms which lead to myocardial injury seen in patients infected with COVID-19, &
- Change patient management both during the acute COVID-19 infection & in the longer term.
Initial steps & study update
The initial steps of the Manganese-Enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of MyOcardial injuRY in COVID 19 (MEMORY- COVID) study, were to identify the cohort of patients that the team wanted to assess.
In this case the team were interested in the effect of COVID on the heart & therefore chose those who did & did not have evidence of heart damage.
The team initially started scanning at the Edinburgh Imaging Facility RIE & used the excellent facilities there during the initial period of lockdown.
They then subsequently moved the remaining scanning to the Edinburgh Imaging Facility QMRI, & have since finished scanning for the study there.
We asked Dr Trisha Singh, Clinical Research Fellow & MEMORY-COVID study PI, how scanning for the study went during the current pandemic:
It was lovely working with the EIF team especially given the current circumstances. They were efficient, helpful & were very supportive with scanning.
Dr Trisha SinghClinical Research Fellow & MEMORY-COVID study PI
Social media tags & titles
The MEMORY-COVID study has completed scanning at the Edinburgh Imaging Facility QMRI. @MarcDweck @HighSTEACS @EdinUniCVS #MyocardialInjury #MR