BLOOD PRESSURE, COGNITIVE FUNCTION, AND MRI

该项目的长期目标是确定是否可以走动 血压技术在预测早期大脑和 可能早于中风和其他脑血管疾病的认知变化 健康老年人的病理学。 该提案试图将 24-小时动态血压和心率轻微脑损伤 通过磁共振成像（MRI）和相关变化进行评估。 我们 将观察血压和心率水平以及 两个完整的24小时周期，以及在特定的时间段内，或 活动，例如，早晨与其他时间段，睡眠与清醒， 休息与锻炼，高与低压力在日记中报告。 的 受试者为150名年龄在55至80岁之间的未用药男性和女性 年龄，血压正常到血压水平升高。 一个完整 将进行医学检查以排除当前的疾病。 测量 将记录门诊血压和心率。 此外，本发明还提供了一种方法， 神经心理学测试将对这些认知的关键领域进行采样， 记忆力、注意力和认知灵活性。 我们预测，与标准门诊血压相比， 动态血压（特别是睡眠时）将 更多地显示认知缺陷和MRI白色物质和其他 大脑的变化，称为T2高信号。 正常血压和 老年高血压伴高睡眠血压和心脏 心率值，动态血压和心率几乎没有下降 从清醒到睡眠的速度，以及大的血压和心率 变异性预计将表现出更多的认知问题， 功能和MRI T2的数量和严重程度增加 高强度。 如果我们发现老年人有边缘性 到轻度高血压都有认知缺陷和脑损伤的风险， 这些结果对有关 老年人的血压水平。

The long range goal of this project is to determine whether ambulatory blood pressure technology is useful in predicting early brain and cognitive changes that may predate stroke and other cerebrovascular pathology in healthy, elderly adults. The proposal attempts to relate 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate to subtle brain damage assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and associated changes. We will look at blood pressure and heart rate level and variability during two entire 24-hour periods, as well as during particular time periods or activities, e.g., morning versus other time periods, sleep versus waking, rest versus exercise, high versus low stress reported in diaries. The subjects will be 150 unmedicated men and women, between 55 and 80 years of age, with normotensive to elevated blood pressure levels. A complete medical exam will be given to exclude current disorders. Measurements will be taken of clinic blood pressure and heart rate. In addition, neuropsychological tests will sample such critical areas of cognitive functioning as memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility. We predict that, in comparison to standard clinic blood pressure measurements, ambulatory blood pressure (particularly during sleep) will be more indicate of cognitive deficits and MRI white matter and other brain changes, known as T2 hyperintensities. Normotensive and hypertensive elderly subjects with high sleeping blood pressure and heart rate values, very little decrease in ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate from waking to sleep, and large blood pressure and heart rate variability are expected to exhibit more problems with cognitive functioning and an increase in the number and severity of MRI T2 hyperintensities. If we find that elderly individuals with borderline to mild hypertension are at risk for cognitive deficit and brain damage, such results have clear implications for decisions regarding the appropriate level of blood pressure to treat in the elderly.