title: Sustained attention is associated with left ventricular ejection fraction in older adults with heart disease.
abstract: Poor cardiac pumping efficiency has shown to lead to cognitive impairments in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The current study examined the relationship between left ventricular ejection fraction and sustained attention and inhibitory processes measured by the Adaptive Rate Continuous Performance Task and the Go/No-go test. Participants were 67 older outpatients (age 68.5 +/- 7.4) with a range of CVD. Associations between cognition and ejection fraction were examined via linear regression analysis. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that lower ejection fraction is significantly associated with decrements in sustained attention and vigilance. Overall, the results provide support for the hypothesis that a change in cardiac pumping leads to decrements in some aspects of attention; however, inhibitory processes are relatively spared. (JINS, 2009, 15, 137-141.).
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA. rcohen@lifespan.org
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Jerskey
authors.forename: Ronald A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Angela L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Jefferson
authors.forename: Karin F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Hoth
authors.forename: Andreana P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Haley
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gunstad
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Forman
authors.forename: Lawrence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sweet
authors.forename: Athena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poppas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*