Cardiac Autonomic Function of older adults with mild cognitive impairment during eyes‐closed resting state
Alejandra Rosales‐Lagarde, Erik Leonardo Mateos‐Salgado, Erika E. Rodríguez‐Torres, Arango de Montis, Ramiro Domínguez‐Aguilar, Hazael Santana‐Garduño, Sonia Arely Sánchez‐González- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
- Geriatrics and Gerontology
- Neurology (clinical)
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Health Policy
- Epidemiology
Abstract
Background
A different autonomic function would be expected between older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) versus a control group (CTRL), having older adults with MCI a higher rate of risk factors than CTRL subjects. These risk factors consist in diseases (arterial hypertension and diabetes) and traumatic events (cranioencephalic trauma), among others.
Method
The cardiac autonomic function was evaluated through high frequency (HF) (or Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, RSA) and low frequency (LF) of heart rate variability. The electroencephalogram (EEG) (19 derivations) and the electrocardiogram (ECG) of 8 subjects: 4 with MCI and 4 CTRL (ages: 66.75 ± 3 and 70.5 ± 6 years; education: 9.5 ± 0.8 and 10.25 ± 4 years, respectively), were registered during eyes‐closed resting condition for 5 minutes. From each group, 3/4 MCI and 2/4 of CTRL subjects had risk factors. After verifying subjects were in the eyes closed resting state by the EEG, free artifact segments of the ECG with a mean duration of 3:18 ± 1 were analyzed.
Result
No statistically significant differences were found between both groups in the values of HF and LF expressed in natural logarithm.
Conclusion
A larger sample and a more unequal proportion of risk factors must be considered to evaluate the relationship between MCI and autonomic cardiac function.