Neuropsychology and Cardiovascular Disease

Roughly one of every three Americans has some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including more than 70% of persons older than 75 years of age. Long associated with increased risk for mortality and disability, CVD is also a major risk factor for stroke and cerebrovascular disease. There has been growing consensus that CVD is also an important contributor to poor neurocognitive outcome in own right. Numerous studies now link CVD to accelerated cognitive decline, structural and functional brain abnormalities, including neurodegnerative conditions in the elderly. While vascular dementia is the most obvious example of severe brain dysfunction directly tied to chronic vascular disease, evidence is also mounting that Alzheimer's disease may be linked to some of the same pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie cardiovascular disease. This book was written to provide up-to-date insight into these heart-brain connections and the neuropsychology of CVD. Highlights include: Controversies in vascular dementia and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) Effects of aging on cerebral hemodynamics and autoregulation How blood vessel function contributes to cognitive decline Updates on the cognitive impact of cardiosurgical procedures Neurocognitive aspects of heart failure Neuropsychological evaluation of persons with CVD Mechanisms by which neurological changes produce cardiac dysfunction Recent findings in the structural and functional neuroimaging in CVD Both clinicians and researchers in neuropsychology, health psychology, cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, geriatrics and many others will find this book an important resource.

Ronald A. Cohen is a Professor of Neuropsychology at Brown University School of Medicine
John Gunstad, Ph.D. obtained his Ph.D. from Ohio University and completed both internship and postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Brown Medical School. He currently teaches and conducts research at Kent State University and Summa Health System. Dr. Gunstad has a history of publication and NIH funding to examine neurocognitive outcomes in persons with cardiovascular disease and its risk factors.