Abstract: OBJECTIVE To study the protective effect and mechanism of dragon's blood extract on brain function damage induced by acute heart failure(AHF) in rats. METHODS Twenty-five SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group, heart failure model group and dragon's blood extract intervention group. The blank control group and the heart failure model group rats were given normal saline daily by intragastric administration every day. The dragon's blood extract intervention group was divided into three groups according to the concentration of dragon's blood extract, the intervention group rats were given daily dragon's blood extract 300 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 in the low dose group, 450 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 in the medium dose group and 600 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 in the high dose group by intragastric administration respectively. The Morris water maze was used to detect the changes of spatial learning and memory ability of rats. The contents of superoxide dismutase(SOD) and malondialdehyde(MDA) were detected. HE staining were used to observe brain tissue pathological changes. RESULTS In the Morris water maze experiment, the escape latency of the blank control group and the high and medium dose groups of dragon's blood extract were shorter than that of the heart failure model group, and the average moving speed and target quadrant time percentage were greater than the heart failure model group. The content of MDA in the heart failure model group was increased compared with the blank control group, and the activity of SOD was opposite. The content of MDA in the dragon's blood extract intervention group was lower than that of the heart failure model group, and the activity of SOD was opposite. CONCLUSION A single episode of AHF can impair brain function. Dragon's blood extract may have a positive protective effect on the prevention and treatment of brain damage caused by AHF in rats through anti-oxidation and scavenging oxygen free radicals.