Ultra-high-field 7 T MRI reveals neural abnormalities of attention networks in relation to cognitive impairment in hypertension.
Authors
Affiliations (7)
Affiliations (7)
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing 100029, China.
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Centre for Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hypertension, Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, National Research Centre for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
- Department of Neurology & Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing 100032, China.
- Beijing Wispirit Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100192, China.
- Department of Cardiology, Fuxing Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China.
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Centre for Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hypertension, Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, National Research Centre for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing 100029, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
Abstract
Hypertension is a significant risk factor for cognitive impairment (CI), yet the corresponding neural network abnormalities remain underexplored. In this study, we examined the associations among global and domain-specific cognitive dysfunction, neuroimaging measures, and blood pressure in a subgroup of hypertensive patients with CI (N = 41) from a randomized controlled trial who underwent ultra-high-field 7 T MRI. Structural atrophy related to CI was localized to regions overlapping the attention networks. Both whole-brain and within-network dysfunction of the attention networks were associated with worse global cognitive performance. Notably, hyperconnectivity within key attention network hubs, including the right anterior insula and posterior intraparietal sulcus, was associated with declined processing speed in hypertensive patients, mediating the association between pulse pressure and processing speed. These findings provide new insights into the neural pathophysiology of hypertension-related CI and suggest potential network-based targets for intervention.