Hypertension is common and it is estimated that 30% of people worldwide have the condition. The disease affects brain mechanics, but it was not known how it damages the brain and which regions are affected.
In a study published recently in European Heart Journalresearchers have identified specific regions of the brain damaged by hypertension that may play a role vital role in the decline of mental processes and the development of dementia.
Tomasz Guzik, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh (UK) and the Jagiellonian University Medical College in Krakow (Poland), who led the investigation, said he collected the information for the analysis from a combination of approaches. .
Through these different approaches, the team identified the affected areas of the brain, including the putamen (round structure at the base of the front of the brain, responsible for regulating movement and influencing various types of learning) and specific regions of white matter.
“We thought these might be the areas where high blood pressure affects cognitive function, such as memory loss, learning ability and dementia. When we verified our findings by studying a group of patients in Italy who had hypertension, we found that the brain pastes we had identified were indeed affected,” said Tomasz Guzik.
According to the team, nine parts of the brain were altered and these were linked to higher blood pressure and worse cognitive function.
These areas include the putamen, anterior thalamic radiation, anterior corona radiata, and anterior limb of the internal capsule, which are regions of white matter that connect with each other and allow for signaling between different parts of the brain.
While the anterior thalamic radiation is involved in executive functions, such as planning simple and complex daily tasks, the other two involve decision-making and managing emotions.
They observed “decreases in brain volume and the amount of surface area of the cerebral cortex, changes in connections between different parts of the brain, and changes in brain activity.”
“By looking at these specific regions of the brain, we may be able to predict who will most quickly develop memory loss and dementia in the context of hypertension. This can help in precision medicine, so that we can create more intensive therapies to prevent the development of cognitive impairments in higher risk patients”, said Tomasz Guzik.
ZAP // 
