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Updated: Sep 5, 2025
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Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
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Vascular and microstructural markers of cognitive pathology
Claudia Coffin1, Cynthia K Suerken2, James R Bateman3
1Department of Internal Medicine Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine Wake Forest School of Medicine Winston-Salem North Carolina USA.
Alzheimer'S & Dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|July 11, 2022
Summary
Arterial stiffness and high blood pressure are linked to poorer brain health, including white matter changes and cognitive decline. These findings highlight the impact of vascular health on dementia risk.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cardiovascular Science
- Gerontology
Background:
- Arterial stiffness is implicated in dementia development.
- Its effects on brain microstructural integrity and perfusion are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between arterial stiffness and elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) with cognitive function.
- To examine these vascular markers in relation to brain imaging metrics, including macrostructure, microstructure, and cerebral blood flow (CBF).
Main Methods:
- Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and SBP were measured in 460 participants.
- Cognitive function and brain MRI (volumes, free water [FW], fractional anisotropy [FA], CBF) were assessed.
- Analyses were adjusted for age, race, sex, education, and APOE ε4 status.
Main Results:
- Higher cfPWV and SBP correlated with increased FW, white matter hyperintensity volume, and worse global and executive cognitive function.
- Elevated SBP was independently associated with reduced WM and GM CBF.
Conclusions:
- Arterial stiffness is significantly associated with impaired white matter microstructure.
- Vascular health, indicated by arterial stiffness and SBP, impacts cognitive function and brain integrity, potentially influencing dementia risk.
