Cardiac autonomic dysfunction is associated with white matter lesions in patients with mild cognitive impairment.
BACKGROUND
Cardiac autonomic dysfunction has been associated with cognitive impairment, but the underlying pathogenesis is complex and cerebral white matter lesions (WMLs) might be implicated.


METHODS
Time and frequency heart rate variability (HRV) and visual rating of WMLs were carried out in 42 patients with mild cognitive impairment.


RESULTS
After adjustment for relevant demographic and clinical characteristics, including left ventricular mass, reduced HRV indices of parasympathetic (root mean square of successive difference of RR intervals, RMSSD) and sympathetic modulation (low-frequency [LF] power) were associated with increased WML score (RMSSD: B -0.30, 95% CI -0.52 to -0.08, p = .01; LF: B -0.24, 95% CI -0.46 to -0.02, p = .05). In a multiple-adjusted model, RMSSD was the major independent predictor of WMLs (B -0.35, 95% CI -0.57 to -0.13, p = .002).


CONCLUSIONS
The evidence for an independent association of cardiac autonomic dysfunction with WMLs might suggest its role in the pathogenesis of WMLs.
Galluzzi
Samantha
S
Laboratory of Epidemiology Neuroimaging & Telemedicine (LENITEM), IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio FBF-The National Center for Research and Care of Alzheimer's Disease, Via Pilastroni 4, 25125, Brescia, Italy.
Nicosia
Franco
F
Geroldi
Cristina
C
Alicandri
Alberto
A
Bonetti
Matteo
M
Romanelli
Giuseppe
G
Zulli
Roberto
R
Frisoni
Giovanni B
GB
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015984:Causality; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006329:Heart Conduction System; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology; D011336:Probability; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric