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Event-related potentials in the elderly with new mild hypertension
P Cicconetti1, M Cacciafesta, G Monteforte
11st Institute of Medicine, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Insights
Mild hypertension in the elderly is linked to early cognitive changes. Specifically, prolonged N2 latency, a measure of brain function, correlates with higher systolic blood pressure, suggesting potential therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gerontology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Hypertension is a significant risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases and cognitive impairment, particularly in the elderly.
- The risk of cerebrovascular disease increases with blood pressure levels in older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate early cognitive functional alterations in elderly individuals with newly diagnosed mild hypertension.
- To assess the relationship between blood pressure, cognitive function, and neurophysiological markers in this population.
Main Methods:
- 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed on 20 elderly hypertensive patients and 10 elderly normotensive controls.
- Cognitive state was evaluated using the Mini-Mental-State-Examination (MMSE).
- Acoustic evoked potentials, specifically P300 and N2 latencies, were recorded.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in P300 latency was observed between hypertensive and normotensive elderly groups.
- Elderly hypertensive patients exhibited a statistically significant prolonged N2 latency compared to normotensive controls.
- A significant correlation was found between N2 latency and systolic blood pressure values in hypertensive individuals.
Conclusions:
- Early functional alterations in cognitive state are present in elderly individuals with mild hypertension.
- These cognitive changes are associated with systolic blood pressure levels.
- Findings suggest the potential for earlier therapeutic interventions in elderly hypertensive patients.
Abstract:
Hypertension is a risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) and cognitive impairment and the relative risk of CVD at every level of blood pressure (BP) is greater among the elderly. We submitted 20 elderly affected by new mild hypertension and 10 elderly normotensives to 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), to evaluate their cognitive state using the Mini-Mental-State-Examination and to the recording of related acoustic evoked potentials (P300 and N2). We did not find significant differences for P300 latency between hypertensives and normotensives, while N2 latency recording showed a statistically significant protracted value in elderly hypertensives. In these patients we found a significant correlation between the N2 latency and systolic blood pressure values recorded by ABPM. These results demonstrated early functional alterations of cognitive state in elderly hypertensives, that are related to systolic blood pressure and future data might point to an earlier use of therapy.