Key result
Older adults with mild cognitive impairment exhibited significantly lower resting high-frequency heart rate variability compared to healthy controls (162.00 vs 283.70 ms^2, p=0.048).
Why the study?
Autonomic functions have been linked to cognitive performance, but both aspects have rarely been studied simultaneously in mild cognitive impairment.
Does mild cognitive impairment alter heart rate variability at rest and during cognitive tasks in older adults compared to healthy controls?
Cross-Sectional (n=51)
No
Does mild cognitive impairment alter heart rate variability at rest and during cognitive tasks in older adults compared to healthy controls?
Standardized Mean Difference: 0.519
Absolute Event Rate: 162% vs 283.7%
p-value: p=0.048
Mild cognitive impairment is associated with autonomic dysfunction, suggesting heart rate variability could serve as a noninvasive biomarker for early cognitive decline.
Reduced HRV in MCI may signal autonomic involvement; cross-sectional data leave open progression risk and need longitudinal validation.
BACKGROUND: Given that, up to date, there is no effective strategy to treat dementia, a timely start of interventions in a prodromal stage such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered an important option to lower the overall societal burden. Although autonomic functions have been related to cognitive performance, both aspects have rarely been studied simultaneously in MCI. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate cardiac autonomic control in older adults with and without MCI. METHODS: Cardiac autonomic control was assessed by means of heart rate variability (HRV) at resting state and during cognitive tasks in 22 older adults with MCI and 29 healthy controls (HCs). Resting HRV measurement was performed for 5 minutes during a sitting position. Afterwards, participants performed three PC-based tasks to probe performance in executive functions and language abilities (i.e., Stroop, N-back, and a verbal fluency task). RESULTS: Participants with MCI showed a significant reduction of HRV in the frequency-domain (high frequency power) and nonlinear indices (SD2, D2, and DFA1) during resting state compared to HCs. Older individuals with MCI exhibited decreases in RMSSD and increases in DFA1 from resting state to Stroop and N-back tasks, reflecting strong vagal withdrawal, while this parameter remained stable in HCs. CONCLUSION: The results support the presence of autonomic dysfunction at the early stage of cognitive impairment. Heart rate variability could help in the prediction of cognitive decline as a noninvasive biomarker or as a tool to monitor the effectiveness of therapy and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Grässler et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Mild Cognitive Impairment (n=51). Mild cognitive impairment vs. Cognitively healthy controls was evaluated on High frequency (HF) power of heart rate variability at resting state (d = 0.519, p=0.048). Older adults with mild cognitive impairment exhibited significantly lower resting high-frequency heart rate variability compared to healthy controls (162.00 vs 283.70 ms^2, p=0.048).
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