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OBJECTIVE:To determine the change in neurocognitive test performance in children with primary hypertension after initiation of antihypertensive therapy. STUDY DESIGN:Subjects with hypertension and normotensive control subjects had neurocognitive testing at baseline and again after 1 year, during which time the subjects with hypertension received antihypertensive therapy. Subjects completed tests of general intelligence, attention, memory, executive function, and processing speed, and parents completed rating scales of executive function. RESULTS:Fifty-five subjects with hypertension and 66 normotensive control subjects underwent both baseline and 1-year assessments. Overall, the blood pressure (BP) of subjects with hypertension improved (24-hour systolic BP load: mean baseline vs 1 year, 58% vs 38%, P

ObjectiveTo compare neurocognitive test performance of children with primary hypertension with that of normotensive controls.Study designSeventy-five children (10-18 years of age) with newly diagnosed, untreated hypertension and 75 frequency-matched normotensive controls had baseline neurocognitive testing as part of a prospective multicenter study of cognition in primary hypertension. Subjects completed tests of general intelligence, attention, memory, executive function, and processing speed. Parents completed rating scales of executive function and the Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder scale of the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ-SRBD).ResultsHypertension and control groups did not differ significantly in age, sex, maternal education, income, race, ethnicity, obesity, anxiety, depression, cholesterol, glucose, insulin, and C-reactive protein. Subjects with hypertension had greater PSQ-SRBD scores (P = .04) and triglycerides (P = .037). Multivariate analyses showed that hypertension was independently associated with worse performance on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (List A Trial 1, P = .034; List A Total, P = .009; Short delay recall, P = .013), CogState Groton Maze Learning Test delayed recall (P = .002), Grooved Pegboard dominant hand (P = .045), and Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence Vocabulary (P = .016). Results indicated a significant interaction between disordered sleep (PSQ-SRBD score) and hypertension on ratings of executive function (P = .04), such that hypertension heightened the association between increased disordered sleep and worse executive function.ConclusionsYouth with primary hypertension demonstrated significantly lower performance on neurocognitive testing compared with normotensive controls, in particular, on measures of memory, attention, and executive functions.

The permeability of most nonionic substances appears to be determined by membrane fluidity, and proton flux through membrane is distinct from the flux of other substances. This elucidates the cause of the exceptionally low rates of permeability in some apical membranes, such as the renal collecting duct, urinary bladder and gastric mucosa, Research is discussed in detail.

Objective: To examine family environment, levels of parenting stress, and child behavior problems in children with one of three kidney diseases compared to healthy children and to examine predictors of psychological distress in the full sample.Method: Parents of children with steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome, chronic renal insufficiency, or kidney transplant (n = 41) were compared to 34 healthy children of similar demographic characteristics.Results: Mean scores on family functioning, parenting stress, and child behavior were within normal limits. Family environment variables significantly predicted child behavior and parenting stress for parents of ill and healthy children. Qualitative responses provided insight into developmentally specific stressors and intervention needs in the illness groups.Conclusions: These data indicate that long-term survivors of kidney disease function similarly to demographically matched peers and that the family environment may buffer stress caused by illness. Specific concerns raised by parents in the kidney disease groups indicate the need to appropriately assess and intervene with this understudied population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the study, "Effect of High Blood Pressure and Antihypertensive Treatment on Brain Functioning in Children." The study is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the University of Rochester. The aim of the study is to determine whether hypertension in children and adolescents has subtle effects on learning, attention, and concentration.