Autonomic support of cognitive functions and functional asymmetry in normal aging and chronic cerebrovascular disorders

The increase in life expectancy is accompanied by an increase in the number of patients suffering from chronic cerebrovascular diseases with progressive cognitive decline, up to dementia. Therefore, the search for new approaches to studying the disease pathogenesis, prevention and treatment is relevant. We analysed the data on correlation of cognitive characteristics with reactions of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and ANS-regulated systems in normal aging and in patients with vascular encephalopathy (VE). Reactivity of cerebral blood flow as a result of cortical-ANS interaction was studied, characteristics of cerebral blood flow influencing the interhemispheric energetic processes (studied with direct current potentials of the brain) were analyzed, and correlation of blood pressure and heart rate with cognitive characteristics were assessed. Since the signs of cognitive decline are observed during normal aging and VE, an attempt was made to analyze the dependence of cognitive and ANS functions not only on VE, but also on the age. We showed some specific features of cortical-ANS interaction in groups of patients divided in accordance with small criteria of functional asymmetry. The obtained results are of value for studying VE pathogenesis and for prognosing cognitive impairment in patients with VE.