Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2026

Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
Hypertension and the brain: vulnerability of the prefrontal regions and executive functions
Naftali Raz1, Karen M Rodrigue, James D Acker
1Institute of Gerontology and Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA. nraz@wayne.edu
Abstract:
Untreated hypertension negatively affects brain anatomy and cognitive functions, but the effects of medically treated hypertension are unclear. The authors compared 40 middle-age and older adults diagnosed with essential hypertension to demographically matched normotensive peers. Volumes of 7 brain regions and deep and periventricular white-matter hyperintensities (WMH) were measured on magnetic resonance imaging scans. Performance in 4 cognitive domains (perseveration, working memory, fluid reasoning, and vocabulary knowledge) was evaluated. Persons with hypertension had smaller prefrontal cortex and underlying white matter volumes and increased frontal WMH. No group differences were found in other examined brain regions. Among examined cognitive variables, hypertensive patients committed significantly more perseverative errors. Thus, even controlled hypertension may be associated with deficits in brain structure and cognition, warranting further study.
Related Concept Videos
Hypertension and Regulation of Blood Pressure
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Hypertension II: Pathophysiology
Hypertension III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
Disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System
Raynaud's disease, also known as Raynaud's phenomenon, is a...
