Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (27)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by WANG, S.-J.
Right arrow Articles by LIU, H.-C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by WANG, S.-J.
Right arrow Articles by LIU, H.-C.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1994 Oxford University Press

research-article

Cardiovascular Autonomic Functions in Alzheimer's Disease

SHUU-JIUN WANG, KWONG-KUM LIAO, JONG-LING FUH, KER-NENG LIN, ZIN-AN WU, CHIA-YIH LIU and HSIU-CHIH LIU*

The Neurological Institute, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, and Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming Medical College Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Department of Psychiatry, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.

* Address correspondence to Dr Hsiu-Chih Liu, The Neurological Institute, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, 112 Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

Summary

We investigated cardiovascular autonomic functions in 23 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 23 age-matched control subjects. The vagal parasympathetic function was assessed with R-R interval variation (RRIV), and sympathetic function with sympathetic skin response (SSR) and orthostatic cardiovascular reflexes. Compared with controls, the AD patients had significantly depressed RRIV during rest (6.4 ± 1.3% vs. 7.5 ±1.6%, p < 0.02) and deep breathing (12.6 ± 4.6% vs. 17.0 ± 5.1%, p < 0.006), but all AD patients had normal SSR. After standing for 3 minutes from supine, the changes of blood pressure and heart rate from baseline in AD patients did not differ from those in controls. The AD patients had a lower systolic blood pressure than controls in both supine (130.7 ± 17.4 vs. 145.4 ± 20.7 mmHg, p < 0.02) and standing (129.2 ± 20.1 vs. 146.6 ± 21.1 mmHg, p < 0.008) positions, especially in those patients with more severe dementia.

We conclude that AD patients have mildly impaired autonomic functions, mainly in vagal parasympathetic functions. The pathogenesis and clinical significance of low blood pressure in AD needs further study.

Revision received April 5, 1994.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Neurol. Neurosurg. PsychiatryHome page
L M Allan, C G Ballard, J Allen, A Murray, A W Davidson, I G McKeith, and R A Kenny
Autonomic dysfunction in dementia
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, July 1, 2007; 78(7): 671 - 677.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical SciencesHome page
M. C. Morris, P. A. Scherr, L. E. Hebert, D. A. Bennett, R. S. Wilson, R. J. Glynn, and D. A. Evans
The Cross-sectional Association Between Blood Pressure and Alzheimer's Disease in a Biracial Community Population of Older Persons
J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., March 1, 2000; 55(3): 130M - 136.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.