Neurocognitive function and cardiovascular disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cardiology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Cardiovascular (CV) diseases and risk factors detrimentally affect brain health and neurocognitive function.
• Impairments in cognition, including executive functions and memory, are linked to CV risk and disease severity across age groups.
• The potential for distinct subgroups of cognitive impairment and the predictive role of neurocognitive performance itself remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between cardiovascular health and neurocognitive function.
• To investigate whether neurocognitive performance patterns can predict the conversion to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
• To highlight the need for comprehensive neurocognitive assessments alongside other biomarkers for predictive modeling.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on cardiovascular disease, risk factors, and their impact on cognitive function.
• Analysis of studies examining cognitive decrements across various domains (executive functions, attention, memory, etc.).
• Discussion of future research directions, emphasizing integrated assessment approaches.

Main Results:

• A broad spectrum of CV risk factors and diseases are associated with cognitive function decrements.
• Cognitive decline occurs across multiple domains and is linked to increasing CV risk and disease severity.
• The predictive capacity of neurocognitive performance for MCI and dementia conversion requires further investigation.

Conclusions:

• Neurocognitive function is significantly impacted by cardiovascular disease and risk factors.
• Neurocognitive performance patterns, integrated with other data, may predict future cognitive decline, MCI, and dementia.
• Aggressive prevention and early intervention of CV risk are crucial for mitigating cognitive impairment and dementia.