Cognitive and functional impairment in hypertensive brain microangiopathy.
Brain microangiopathy, whose neuroimaging expression is represented by age-related white matter changes (ARWMC), is largely due to hypertension and it is, in turn, responsible for geriatric syndromes, including decline in cognitive, functional and motor/gait abilities. This review analyzes the link between hypertension and ARWMC, as well as the complex relationships between ARWMC and cognitive impairment, executive dysfunction, and movement/gait abnormalities. The available evidence supports the hypothesis that these functional consequences of ARWMC are responsible for substantial disability in the elderly. Thus, adequate treatment of hypertension may represent a feasible way to reduce the burden of disability in late life.
Inzitari
Marco
M
Department of Critical Care Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Florence and Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
Pozzi
Claudia
C
Rinaldi
Lucio A
LA
Masotti
Giulio
G
Marchionni
Niccolò
N
Di Bari
Mauro
M
D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology