title: Comparison of effects of valsartan and amlodipine on cognitive functions and auditory p300 event-related potentials in elderly hypertensive patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compared the antihypertensive effect of valsartan (VAL) and amlodipine (AML) treatments in elderly hypertensive patients by examining the long-term changes in cognitive function and auditory P300 event-related potentials.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 20 outpatients, including 12 men and 8 women in the age group of 56 to 81 years who had mild to moderate essential hypertension. The subjects were randomly allocated to receive either 80 mg VAL once a day (10 patients) or 5 mg AML once a day (10 patients). Neuropsychological assessment and auditory P300 event-related potentials were obtained before initiation of VAL or AML treatment and after 6 months of the treatment with VAL or AML. Neuropsychological assessment was evaluated by conducting the Mini-Mental State Examination, the verbal fluency, word-list memory, word-list recall test, word-list recognition, and Trails B tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both the groups showed significantly reduced-blood pressure after 6 months of treatment, and the intergroup difference was not significant. The mean baseline Mini-Mental State Examination scores of the VAL and AML groups were not significantly different. Amlodipine treatment did not significantly affect any test score, but VAL treatment significantly increased the word-list memory and word-list recall test scores. Valsartan, and not AML, significantly reduced the mean P300 latency after 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that VAL exerts a positive effect on cognitive functions, independent of its antihypertensive effect.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Neurology, Nagoya City West Medical Center; and †Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Science, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katada
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uematsu
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takuma
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsukawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017311:Amlodipine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D000075222:Essential Hypertension; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068756:Valsartan
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D013777:Tetrazoles; D017311:Amlodipine; D000068756:Valsartan; D014633:Valine