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The Role of Inflammation in the Association Between Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation and Cognitive Dysfunction in Cardiovascular Disease

Keary, Therese Anne
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1310610463

Abstract Details

2011, PHD, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been known to adversely impact cognitive function. Recent research has shown that dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is also associated with cognitive impairment in this population. The underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of this association are not yet well understood. However, one candidate mechanism implicates the inflammatory markers regulated by the vagus nerve, which may have a detrimental impact on cognition. The present study was designed with the following two aims: 1) examine the associations among cardiovascular ANS regulation, inflammation, and cognitive functioning in patients with CVD, and 2) examine the hypothesis that inflammation is a partial mediator of the relationship between cardiovascular ANS dysregulation and cognitive dysfunction in patients with CVD. Participants were 80 patients enrolled in a phase II cardiac rehabilitation program who underwent a treadmill exercise stress test, completed a brief battery of neuropsychological measures (i.e., measures of attention, executive, and psychomotor speed functions), and provided a blood sample from which inflammatory markers could be analyzed. The two inflammatory markers assessed were P-selectin and interleukin-10. Cardiovascular ANS regulation was operationally defined in terms heart rate recovery (HR recovery). HR recovery was significantly inversely associated with performance on only one of the five measures of cognitive functioning considered in the current study, namely, a measure of complex auditory attention and working memory. Contrary to expectations, HR recovery values were not significantly related to either of the inflammatory makers assessed in the current study, and neither inflammatory marker was significantly associated with any of the five measures of cognitive function. There was no support for hypothesis that inflammation partially mediates the relationship between cardiovascular ANS dysregulation and cognitive impairment in the current study. Some features of the study sample and other design-related issues that might have influenced the current findings and that may help to partially account for the unexpected results are discussed.
Joel Hughes, Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair)
John Gunstad, Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair)
Douglas Delahanty, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Melissa Zullo, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Heather Caldwell, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
132 p.
Clinical Psychology
cardiovascular disease; cognitive functioning; inflammation; autonomic nervous system; heart rate recovery; P-selectin; interleukin-10

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Keary, T. A. (2011). The Role of Inflammation in the Association Between Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation and Cognitive Dysfunction in Cardiovascular Disease [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1310610463

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Keary, Therese. The Role of Inflammation in the Association Between Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation and Cognitive Dysfunction in Cardiovascular Disease. 2011. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1310610463.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Keary, Therese. "The Role of Inflammation in the Association Between Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation and Cognitive Dysfunction in Cardiovascular Disease." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1310610463

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1310610463
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© 2011, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.