RESUMO

Here, we examine whether systolic blood pressure (SBP) mediates the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and inhibitory control in children. Twenty children with high blood pressure (HBP) were approximately matched with twenty children with low blood pressure (LBP) by fitness, BMI, somatic maturation, sex and age. Inhibitory control was measured by a cognitive Go/Nogo task, where number of commission errors during Nogo trials and reaction time during Go trials were used as performance. We compared performance between the two groups and conducted a mediation analysis using SBP as mediator of the relationship between BMI and commission errors. Results revealed that HBP children presented higher number of commission errors, compared to LBP children. Moreover, SBP mediated the relation between BMI and number of errors. Thus, early exposure to high levels of SBP can negatively impact inhibitory control and SBP acts as a mediator between BMI and inhibitory functioning in children.

Assuntos

Pressão Sanguínea , Índice de Massa Corporal , Hipertensão , Pressão Sanguínea/fisiologia , Criança , Humanos

RESUMO

While drug use has been shown to impair cardiac autonomic regulation, exercise might overcome some of the damage. Herein, we describe how individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) have their heart rate variability (HRV) and drug-related behaviors negatively affected in response to a stressor. However, we show how cardiorespiratory fitness may attenuate those impairments in autonomic control. Fifteen individuals with SUD were matched with 15 non-SUD individuals by age, weight, height, and fitness level, and had their HRV responses under stress induced by the Cold Pressor Test (CPT). The SUD group had lower mean of R-R intervals before and after the CPT when compared with the non-SUD group. In addition, in individuals with SUD, higher cardiorespiratory fitness level predicted greater vagal activity before, during, and after CPT. Moreover, for individuals with SUD, days of abstinence predicted greater mean of R-R intervals during recovery from the CPT. Finally, years of drug use negatively predicted mean of R-R intervals during recovery. Thus, our results suggest that chronic drug use impairs cardiac autonomic regulation at rest and after a physical stress. However, cardiorespiratory fitness might attenuate these impairments by increasing vagal autonomic activity.

RESUMO

The abusive use of alcohol has shown to be associated to cerebral damage, impaired cognition, poor autonomic nervous control, impaired cardiovascular health, increased levels of stress and anxiety, depression symptoms and poor quality of life. Aerobic exercise has shown to be an efficient tool to reduce and overcome these issues. In this case report, a patient (forty-four years old, male) under treatment in public psychiatric hospital, classified as having a substance use disorder, underwent a three-month running program. The maximal oxygen consumption increased from 24.2 ml/kg/min to 30.1 ml/kg/min, running time increased from 6 min to 45 min (650%) and distance covered from 765 m to 8700 m (1037.2%). In prefrontal cortex oxygenation, oxyhemoglobin levels improved by 76.1%, deoxyhemoglobin decreased 96.9% and total hemoglobin increased 78.8% during exercise. Reaction time in the cognitive test during rest decreased 23%, and the number of correct answers increased by 266.6%. Parasympathetic cardiac parameters increased in several heart rate variability indices. Thus, we conclude that running exercise performed by an alcoholic patient hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital improves cerebral function, cognition and cardiovascular health.