title: Factors associated with low cognitive performance in general practice.
abstract: In the preparatory phase of a randomised controlled trial data were collected to assess the magnitude of changes on cognitive functions in 1628 volunteers (age range 45-75 years) that were recruited from general practitioners' patient population. Subjects were administered a short neuropsychological battery of tests including three paper-and-pencil tests, which assessed immediate recall, delayed memory, and attention. Being on antihypertensive medication was associated with low results for all three tests in every age group, and in all strata according to blood pressure levels. Psychotropic drug use was correlated with low results for all three tests. Differences between psychotropic drug users and nonusers increased with age. Antihypertensive treatment and psychotropic drug use seem to be important to consider in longitudinal studies of cognitive decline in aging.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Unit 360, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dealberto
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sauron
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Derouesné
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mayeux
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Piette
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lubin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alpérovitch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs