Association Between Cognitive Function and the Autonomic Nervous System by Photoplethysmography

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between cognitive function and the autonomic nervous system by categorizing participants into two groups based on their cognitive function scores in each domain of the SNSB-D: a High Cognitive Performance (HCP) group and a Low Cognitive Performance (LCP) group. We analyzed the Pulse Rate Variability (PRV) parameters for each group. Photoplethysmography (PPG) data were collected and processed to remove noise, and the PRV parameters in the time and frequency domains were extracted. To minimize the impact of age and years of education on the PRV parameters, we performed an adjusted analysis using a Generalized Linear Model (GLM). The analysis revealed that the autonomic nervous system, particularly the parasympathetic nervous system, was more activated in the LCP group compared to the HCP group. This finding suggests that in individuals with low cognitive function, the sympathetic nerves in the autonomic nervous system are less activated, so the parasympathetic nerves are relatively more activated. This study investigated the correlation between cognitive function and PRV parameters, highlighting the potential use of these parameters as indicators for the early diagnosis and classification of cognitive decline.