AUTHOR=Molloy Cathleen , Choy Elizabeth H. , Arechavala Rebecca J. , Buennagel David , Nolty Anne , Spezzaferri Mitchell R. , Sin Caleb , Rising Shant , Yu Jeremy , Al-Ezzi Abdulhakim , Kleinman Michael T. , Kloner Robert A. , Arakaki Xianghong 

TITLE=Resting heart rate (variability) and cognition relationships reveal cognitively healthy individuals with pathological amyloid/tau ratio

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Epidemiology

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/epidemiology/articles/10.3389/fepid.2023.1168847

DOI=10.3389/fepid.2023.1168847

ISSN=2674-1199

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Resting heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) have been linked with cognition in the general population and in older individuals. The knowledge of this aspect of heart-brain relationship is relatively absent in older individuals with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. This study explores relationships of the HR, HRV, and cognition in cognitively healthy individuals with pathological amyloid/tau ratio (CH-PATs) in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) compared to those with normal ratio (CH-NATs).</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>We examined the relationships between 1) resting HR and Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE); 2) resting HR and brain processing during Stroop interference; and 3) resting vagally mediated HRV (vmHRV) and task switching performance.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Our studies showed that compared to CH-NATs, those CH-PATs with higher resting HR presented with lower MMSE, and less brain activation during interference processing. In addition, resting vmHRV was significantly correlated with task switching accuracy in CH-NATs, but not in CH-PATs.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>These three different tests indicate dysfunctional heart-brain connections in CH-PATs, suggesting a potential cardio-cerebral dysfunctional integration.</p></sec>