Stress-induced blood pressure reactivity and cognitive function

To examine the relation of stress-induced blood pressure (BP) reactivity to cognitive function.

Ninety-four healthy stroke- and dementia-free middle-aged and older adults (ages 54 to 79; 62% male; 90% white) completed biomedical, psychophysiological, and neuropsychological assessment procedures.

After statistical adjustment for age, education, state anxiety, fasting glucose levels, and resting systolic or diastolic BP (depending on the model), greater systolic BP reactivity was associated with decreased performance on Logical Memory-Immediate Recall (r2 = 0.08; p < 0.007), Logical Memory-Delayed Recall (r2 = 0.06; p < 0.02), and Stroop interference scores (r2 = 0.04; p < 0.05). Enhanced diastolic BP reactivity was similarly associated with decreased performance on Logical Memory-Immediate Recall (r2 = 0.06; p < 0.02) and Stroop interference scores (r2 = 0.06; p < 0.02).

Independent of resting clinic blood pressure (BP), systolic and diastolic BP reactivity was associated with diminished performance on tests of immediate and delayed verbal memory and executive function (i.e., response inhibition), accounting for 3 to 8% of the variance in these measures.