Impaired parasympathetic network function confers susceptibility to neurodegeneration and memory impairment in older adults with elevated beat-to-beat blood pressure variability

Background: Blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with neurodegeneration and cognitive decline independent of average pressure. The effect of parasympathetic central autonomic network (CAN) impairment on this relationship has not been assessed. Objective: Determine whether parasympathetic CAN network function affects the relationship between BPV and neurodegenerative markers. Methods: 100 independently living older adults (55–89 years) underwent continuous blood pressure monitoring, neuropsychological testing, venipuncture, and brain MRI. Hippocampal volumes and entorhinal cortex thicknesses were assessed. Functional connectivity within a parasympathetic cardiovascular control network was used as a measure of parasympathetic CAN function. Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light (NfL) were used as measures of glial and neuronal injury, respectively. Results: Elevated BPV was associated with left hippocampal atrophy (p = 0.03) and elevated plasma GFAP (p = 0.005) independent of age, sex, vascular risk factor burden, total intracranial volume (when applicable) and average blood pressure. These relationships were not mediated by parasympathetic central autonomic network impairment. Instead, parasympathetic CAN impairment conferred a vulnerability to elevated BPV. In participants with decreased parasympathetic CAN connectivity elevated BPV was associated with left entorhinal cortex atrophy (p = 0.0001), elevated plasma GFAP (p = 0.0001), elevated plasma NfL (p = 0.001), and memory impairment (p = 0.007). Conclusions: Findings suggest elevated beat-to-beat BPV is directly related to brain injury, and this effect is not mediated by CAN dysfunction. Instead, CAN impairment may confer a susceptibility to glial and neuronal injury in older adults with elevated beat-to-beat blood pressure variability. Mechanisms underlying increased susceptibility to BPV elevation in those with CAN dysfunction warrants further study.