Login Register Cart 0
Generic placeholder image

Current Hypertension Reviews

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1573-4021
ISSN (Online): 1875-6506

Back
Journal Home About Journal Editorial Board Journal Insight Current Issue Volumes/Issues
Subscribe
Research Article

Detection of Cognitive Impairment by Choice Auditory Reaction Time (ART) and Visual Reaction Time (VRT)s during Acute Mental Stress in Young Hypertensives: A Case Control Study

Author(s): Vitthal Khode*, Satish Patil, Girish Babu, Komal Ruikar and Sakshi Patel

Volume 18, Issue 1, 2022

Published on: 10 May, 2021

Page: [64 - 69] Pages: 6

DOI: 10.2174/1573402117666210511010824

Price: $65

Open Access Journals Promotions 2
Abstract

Background: Acute stress is known to be associated with both negative and positive influences on cognitive performance. Hypertension is one of the risk factors for lowered cognitive performance. Mental stress testing is easier to administer and can be regulated by the investigator.

Mental arithmetic using serial subtraction is the most widely used method to administer stress. Reaction time (RT) is widely used to assess cognitive domains like attention, execution and psychomotor speed. Researchers have shown choice reaction times are delayed in hypertension. It is not known whether acute mental stress improves or deteriorates attention, execution and psychomotor speed in hypertension. We hypothesized in the present study that acute mental stress deteriorates cognitive function in hypertensives without overt cerebrovascular disease or other vascular risk factors.

Methods: After getting medical ethical clearance from our institution, this case-control study was carried out over eight months (January 2017 to September 2017). 60 subjects between the age group of 35 to 55 years were included in the study. They were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 30 diagnosed cases of hypertension at least two years of duration. Group 2 consisted of 30 sex and age-matched controls. MMSE was performed to assess the cognitive function in these groups. Simple (S) and choice (C) auditory reaction time (ART) and visual reaction time (VRT)s were measured at rest and acute mental stress in these groups to assess cognitive function. Predictive value of VRTC resting and VRTC during acute mental stress among hypertensives for cognitive dysfunction was calculated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results: There was significant difference ART and VRT, both simple and choice, in hypertensive and nonhypertensive subjects and these reaction times further increased during mental stress (P<0.001). VRTC can be a predictor of cognitive dysfunction in hypertensives and during acute mental stress.

Conclusion: A significant difference in cognitive functions in hypertensive and nonhypertensive subjects exists and this further deteriorates with acute mental stress.

Keywords: Hypertension, cognition, reaction time, mental stress, auditory reaction time, visual reaction time.

« Previous Next »
Graphical Abstract

[1]
Sandi C. Stress and cognition. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci 2013; 4(3): 245-61.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wcs.1222] [PMID: 26304203]
[2]
Birns J, Kalra L. Cognitive function and hypertension. J Hum Hypertens 2009; 23(2): 86-96.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2008.80] [PMID: 18650838]
[3]
Gifford KA, Badaracco M, Liu D, et al. Blood pressure and cognition among older adults: a meta-analysis. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2013; 28(7): 649-64.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/arclin/act046] [PMID: 23838685]
[4]
Robbins MA, Elias MF, Elias PK, Budge MM. The Maine-Syracuse Study: Blood pressure and cognitive function in an African-American and a Caucasian-American sample. Psychosom Med 2005; 67: 707-14.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000171164.50990.80] [PMID: 16204428]
[5]
Messinis L, Tsakona I, Malefaki S, Papathanasopoulos P. Normative data and discriminant validity of Rey’s Verbal Learning Test for the Greek adult population. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2007; 22(6): 739-52.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acn.2007.06.002] [PMID: 17640848]
[6]
Loring DW, Bowden SC, Staikova E, Bishop JA, Drane DL, Goldstein FC. NIH toolbox picture sequence memory test for assessing clinical memory function: diagnostic relationship to the rey auditory verbal learning test. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2019; 34(2): 268-76.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acy028] [PMID: 29608637]
[7]
Benton AL, Hamsher JDS, Sivan AB. Multilingual Aphasia Examination. New York, NY: Oxford university press 2004. Neuropsychological assessment
[8]
Wechsler D. Wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised. New York, NY: Psychological Corp 1981.
[9]
Kovács KR, Szekeres CC, Bajkó Z, et al. Cerebro- and cardiovascular reactivity and neuropsychological performance in hypertensive patients. J Neurol Sci 2010; 299(1-2): 120-5.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2010.07.022] [PMID: 20800240]
[10]
Chiaravalloti ND, Christodoulou C, Demaree HA, DeLuca J. Differentiating simple versus complex processing speed: influence on new learning and memory performance. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2003; 25(4): 489-501.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1076/jcen.25.4.489.13878] [PMID: 12911103]
[11]
Khode V, Rajoor U, Ramdurg S, Ruikar K, Nallulwar S. Can chronoscopic reading in whole body reaction time be a tool in detecting cognitive dysfunction in hypertensives? Findings from a case control study. Ann Med Health Sci Res 2013; 3(2): 233-7.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/2141-9248.113668] [PMID: 23919196]
[12]
Khode V, Ramdurg S, Parakh R, Ruikar K, Anupama D. Chronoscopic reading in whole body reaction times in detecting cognitive dysfunction in metabolic syndrome: a case control study. Indian J Med Sci 2012; 66(9-10): 222-9.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0019-5359.115215] [PMID: 23897569]
[13]
Pehlivanoglu B, Durmazlar N, Balkanci D. Computer adapted Stroop colour-word conflict test as a laboratory stress model. Erciyes Med J 2005; 27(2): 58-63.
[14]
Goi N, Hirai Y, Harada H, et al. Comparison of peroxidase response to mental arithmetic stress in saliva of smokers and non-smokers. J Toxicol Sci 2007; 32(2): 121-7.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.2131/jts.32.121] [PMID: 17538236]
[15]
Sato D, Yamazaki Y, Takahashi A, et al. Water immersion decreases sympathetic skin response during color-word Stroop test. PLoS One 2017; 12(7): e0180765.
[16]
Svetlak M, Bob P, Cernik M, Kukleta M. Electrodermal complexity during the Stroop colour word test. Auton Neurosci 2010; 152(1-2): 101-7.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2009.10.003] [PMID: 19914149]
[17]
Scarpina F, Tagini S. The stroop color and word test. Front Psychol 2017; 12: 8-557.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00557]
[18]
Al-Ghatani AM, Obonsawin MC, Binshaig BA, Al-Moutaery KR. Saudi normative data for the Wisconsin Card Sorting test, Stroop test, test of non-verbal intelligence-3, picture completion and vocabulary (subtest of the wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised). Neurosciences (Riyadh) 2011; 16(1): 29-41.
[PMID: 21206442]
[19]
Andrews K, Shuttleworth-Edwards A, Radloff S. Normative indications for Xhosa speaking unskilled workers on the Trail Making and Stroop Tests. J Psychol Afr 2012; 22: 333-41.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2012.10820538]
[20]
Ushiyama K, Ogawa T, Ishii M, Ajisaka R, Sugishita Y, Ito I. Physiologic neuroendocrine arousal by mental arithmetic stress test in healthy subjects. Am J Cardiol 1991; 67(1): 101-3.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0002-9149(91)90112-X] [PMID: 1986495]
[21]
Tomaka J, Blascovich J, Swart L. Effects of vocalization on cardiovascular and electrodermal responses during mental arithmetic. Int J Psychophysiol 1994; 18(1): 23-33.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0167-8760(84)90012-6] [PMID: 7876036]
[22]
Seraganian P, Szabo A, Brown TG, Behavior P. The effect of vocalization on the heart rate response to mental arithmetic. Physiol Behav 1997; 62(2): 221-4.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9384(97)00102-9] [PMID: 9251961]
[23]
Ring C, Drayson M, Walkey DG, Dale S, Carroll D. Secretory immunoglobulin A reactions to prolonged mental arithmetic stress: inter-session and intra-session reliability. Biol Psychol 2002; 59(1): 1-13.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0301-0511(01)00128-4] [PMID: 11790440]
[24]
von Dawans B, Kirschbaum C, Heinrichs M. The Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G): A new research tool for controlled simultaneous social stress tests: an 18-year follow-up study. Hypertension 2010; 55(1): 131-6.
[PMID: 19948985]
[25]
Hjortskov N, Rissén D, Blangsted AK, Fallentin N, Lundberg U, Søgaard K. The effect of mental stress on heart rate variability exposure in a group format. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2011; 36(4): 514-22.
[PMID: 20843608]
[26]
Hassellund SS, Flaa A, Sandvik L, Kjeldsen SE, Rostrup M. Long-term stability of cardiovascular and catecholamine responses to stress and blood pressure during computer work. Eur J Appl Physiol 2004; 92(1-2): 84-9.
[PMID: 14991326]
[27]
Arnsten AFT. Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nat Rev Neurosci 2009; 10(6): 410-22.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrn2648] [PMID: 19455173]
[28]
Smith SM, Fox PT, Miller KL, et al. Correspondence of the brain’s functional architecture during activation and rest. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2009; 106(31): 13040-5.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0905267106] [PMID: 19620724]
[29]
Hermans EJ, Henckens MJAG, Joëls M, Fernández G. Dynamic adaptation of large-scale brain networks in response to acute stressors. Trends Neurosci 2014; 37(6): 304-14.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2014.03.006] [PMID: 24766931]
[30]
Lupien SJ, Maheu F, Tu M, Fiocco A, Schramek TE. The effects of stress and stress hormones on human cognition: Implications for the field of brain and cognition. Brain Cogn 2007; 65(3): 209-37.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2007.02.007] [PMID: 17466428]

Rights & Permissions Print Cite
Article Metrics
35
2
Wayfinder Image
Open Access Journals Promotions
© 2024 Bentham Science Publishers | Privacy Policy