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Cardiac autonomic modulation and cognitive status in Alzheimer’s disease

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Abstract

Introduction

Although nervous structures affected in Alzheimer’s disease are also implicated in autonomic nervous system function, the relationship between autonomic and cognitive functions was not still investigated.

Methods

The cardiac autonomic modulation of 5-min heart interval variability evaluated by time- and frequency-domain indexes, in supine and standing positions, of 22 Alzheimer’s disease patients (90.9% women) aged 79.6 ± 1.4  years (mean ± SE) was correlated with mild to severe cognitive impairment scored by the CAMCOG and MMSE subset tests, by the Spearman’s correlation analysis.

Results

Age and level of education were not correlated with the heart interval variability indexes and the cognitive scores. Significantly positive (r s = 0.43–0.47, P = 0.03–0.04) or trend (r s = 0.36–0.40, P = 0.06–0.10) correlation was observed in both positions between the cognitive performance and pNN50%, rMSSD and absolute and normalised high-frequency power, considered to express parasympathetic modulation. Negative trend correlation (r s = −0.35 to −0.39, P = 0.07–0.10) was observed between absolute sympathetic modulation (low-frequency power and low-to-high frequency power ratio) in supine posture.

Conclusion

The cognitive status and the cardiac sympathovagal modulation appear to be correlated and hypothetically may influence one another in mild to severe Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals with more severe cognitive deficiency showed suggestive lower cardiac parasympathetic modulation and trend for higher cardiac sympathetic modulation.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. Laura Marcondes Simões and Dr. Indira Oliveira from the Geriatrics Medicine Center of the Brasilia University Hospital, Brasilia, DF, Brazil, for their skilful support in applying the cognitive tests. We are also indebted to Dr. Jerson Laks from the Institute of Psychiatry of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for his precious comments. The collaboration of Prof. Maria Imaculada Muniz-Junqueira in reviewing the English language is also greatly appreciated.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Medicine Area, Cardiovascular Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Medical Sciences Postgraduate Course, Brasilia, DF, 70910-900, Brazil

    Luiz Fernando Junqueira Jr

  2. Division of Cardiology, The Brasilia University Hospital, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil

    Luiz Fernando Junqueira Jr

  3. Medical Sciences Postgraduate Course, Geriatrics Medicine Center, The Brasilia University Hospital, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil

    Maria Alice de Vilhena Toledo

Authors
  1. Maria Alice de Vilhena Toledo
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  2. Luiz Fernando Junqueira Jr
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Correspondence to Luiz Fernando Junqueira Jr.

Additional information

This work was in part supported by Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal (Proc. nº 193.000.162/2008)

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de Vilhena Toledo, M.A., Junqueira, L.F. Cardiac autonomic modulation and cognitive status in Alzheimer’s disease. Clin Auton Res 20, 11–17 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-009-0035-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-009-0035-0

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