title: Reduced heart rate recovery is associated with poorer cognitive function in older adults with cardiovascular disease.
abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adults has been associated with varying degrees of cognitive dysfunction. Several mechanisms may explain this association, including impaired cardiovascular reactivity to autonomic nervous system (ANS) signaling. Reduced heart rate recovery following a stress test may be considered an indication of impaired ANS function (i.e., reduced parasympathetic activity). Participants were 47 older adults (53-83 years) who underwent a treadmill stress test and were administered a comprehensive neuropsychological battery upon entry to phase II cardiac rehabilitation. Reduced parasympathetic activity was associated with impaired cognitive performance on a measure of global cognitive function and on tasks of speeded executive function and confrontation naming. These relationships suggest that changes in autonomic function may be mechanistically related to the impaired cognitive function prevalent in CVD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
authors.forename: Therese A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Keary
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Galioto
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Waechter
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Spitznagel
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosneck
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Josephson
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gunstad