Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort Study

Swiss-AF is a prospective observational, multicentric cohort study in Switzerland. Overall, 2600 patients with documented atrial fibrillation aged \>65 years will be included and followed on a yearly basis. Yearly clinical examinations include a detailed questionnaire on personal characteristics, a resting electrocardiogram, neurocognitive function tests and questionnaires on disability and quality of life. Blood sampling and brain magnetic resonance imaging are scheduled at baseline and after 2 years of follow-up. The main study aims of this long term prospective study are to increase our knowledge on structural brain damage and its changes over time in patients with atrial fibrillation, to gain additional insights on the incidence and underlying mechanisms of cognitive decline in patients with atrial fibrillation and to evaluate the interrelationships of structural and functional brain damage in this population.