Analysis of cognitive characteristics in patients with arterial hypertension in middle and old age

Abstract

Introduction. The study of the spectrum of neurocognitive disorders in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) in order to create an effective therapeutic and rehabilitation strategy is an urgent direction of modern medicine.Aim. To study neuropsychological characteristics in patients with hypertension in middle and old age.Materials and methods. 357 middle-aged and elderly patients with hypertension were examined. All patients underwent neuropsychological examination: Montreal Cognitive Function Assessment Scale (MoCA test), Schulte Table Test, Verbal Association Test, Trail Making Test (TMT), Asthenia Self-questionnaire (MFI-20), O. Kopina Reader Adaptation Test, questionnaire on the level of life exhaustion, hospital anxiety scale and depression (HADS).Results. The analysis of the results of general neuropsychological testing showed a deviation from the reference values in the majority of participants. In the Schulte test, an increase in execution time was noted in 50% of elderly patients and in 21% of middle-aged patients. In the TMT test: an increase in the execution time of part A – in 88% of elderly patients and 58% of middle-aged patients, part B – in 97 and 88% of patients, respectively. The MoCA test demonstrated pronounced cognitive impairment in 16% of middle-aged patients and in 35% of elderly patients. More than 97% of elderly and 88% of middle-aged patients showed a high level of asthenia in the MFI-20 test; life exhaustion was noted in 56 and 45%, and anxiety and depression in more than 50% of elderly and 35% of middle-aged patients, respectively.Conclusion. In the studied groups of patients with hypertension, there was a decrease in the integral index of cognitive functions, as well as changes in indicators in tests characterizing the state of control functions, attention, speed of thought processes and semantic memory, while more pronounced deviations were noted in the elderly. The described cognitive impairments were combined with a high level of psychoemotional tension, anxiety, depression and asthenia.