Systemic hypoperfusion is associated with executive dysfunction in geriatric cardiac patients.
The present study examines the relationship between systemic hypoperfusion via cardiac output (CO) and neuropsychological performances emphasizing executive function in an aging cohort. Geriatric outpatients with treated, stable cardiovascular disease (CVD) and no history of neurological illness (n=72, ages 56-85) were administered cognitive measures with an emphasis on executive functioning. Echocardiogram findings were used to stratify participants into two groups: low CO (<4.0 L/min) and normal CO (> o r=4.0 L/min). Between-group comparisons were made using ANCOVAs adjusting for systolic blood pressure. The low CO group performed significantly worse than the normal CO group on DKEFS Tower Test and DKEFS Trail Making Test. No significant between-group differences were noted for any of the other cognitive indices. Findings suggest that reduced CO is associated with poorer executive functioning among geriatric outpatients with stable CVD, as the cognitive profile emphasizes a relationship between systemic hypoperfusion and problems with sequencing and planning. The executive dysfunction profile may be secondary to reduced blood flow to vulnerable subcortical structures implicated in frontal-subcortical circuitry.
Department of Neurology, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Robinson Complex, Suite 7800, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118-2526, USA. angelaj@bu.edu <angelaj@bu.edu>
Angela L
AL
Jefferson
Athena
A
Poppas
Robert H
RH
Paul
Ronald A
RA
Cohen
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology*; D002303:Cardiac Output, Low / Q000209:etiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D011581:Psychological Tests