Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Mental Confusion in Elderly May Be Due to High Blood
Pressure Rather than Aging Brain
Stressful situations may make it
more difficult for some seniors to think clearly
Dec. 15, 2008 When struggling with a memory lapse
or mental confusion, most senior citizens are quick to blame it on their
aging brain. A new study, however, says seniors should not jump to
conclusions. The mental challenge may be due to high blood pressure.
A new study from North Carolina State University
shows that increased blood pressure in older adults is directly related
to decreased cognitive functioning, particularly among seniors with
already high blood pressure. This means that stressful situations may
make it more difficult for some seniors to think clearly.
Dr. Jason Allaire, an assistant professor of
psychology at NC State, who co-authored the study, explains that study
subjects whose average systolic blood pressure was 130 or higher saw a
significant decrease in cognitive function when their blood pressure
spiked.
However, Allaire notes, study subjects whose
average blood pressure was low or normal saw no change in their
cognitive functioning even when their blood pressure shot up.
Specifically, Allaire says, the study shows a link
between blood pressure spikes in seniors with high blood pressure and a
decrease in their inductive reasoning.
"Inductive reasoning is important," Allaire says,
"because it is essentially the ability to work flexibly with unfamiliar
information and find solutions."
Allaire says the findings may indicate that mental
stress is partially responsible for the increase in blood pressure and
the corresponding breakdown in cognitive functioning. However, Allaire
notes that normal fluctuations in blood pressure likely play a role as
well.
The study, which is published in the current issue
of Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, examined blood
pressure and cognitive functioning test data collected twice daily for
60 days from a group of 36 elderly adults aged 60 through 87.
Individuals with high blood pressure tended to
perform poorly, particularly on occasions when their blood pressure was
above their average blood pressure level, the researchers report.
The lead author is Alyssa A. Gamaldo, a Ph.D.
candidate in psychology at NC State. A second co-author is Sarah R.
Weatherbee, who is also a Ph.D. candidate in psychology at NC State.
