Systemic hypoperfusion is associated with executive dysfunction in geriatric cardiac patients.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cardiology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Systemic hypoperfusion, indicated by low cardiac output (CO), may impact cognitive function in aging populations.
• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is prevalent in older adults and can affect blood flow dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between cardiac output and executive functions in geriatric outpatients with stable CVD.
• To determine if reduced CO correlates with specific deficits in neuropsychological performance.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-two geriatric outpatients (ages 56-85) with stable CVD underwent cognitive assessments focusing on executive functions.
• Participants were stratified into low CO (<4.0 L/min) and normal CO (≥4.0 L/min) groups based on echocardiogram findings.
• ANCOVAs, adjusted for systolic blood pressure, were used for between-group comparisons.

Main Results:

• The low CO group demonstrated significantly worse performance on the DKEFS Tower Test and DKEFS Trail Making Test compared to the normal CO group.
• No significant differences in other cognitive indices were observed between the groups.
• Findings indicate a specific executive dysfunction profile related to sequencing and planning in individuals with reduced CO.

Conclusions:

• Reduced cardiac output is associated with impaired executive functioning in older adults with stable cardiovascular disease.
• Systemic hypoperfusion may lead to cognitive deficits, potentially due to reduced blood flow to subcortical structures involved in frontal-subcortical circuitry.
• These findings highlight the link between cardiovascular health and cognitive aging.