Abstract

The present study investigated cognitive functioning in young normotensive males with and without a parental history of hypertension (PH+ and PH-, respectively). Cardiovascular and state affect responses at rest and during testing were examined in order to determine whether they can account for any parental history group differences in cognitive functioning. PH+ participants performed more poorly on Block Design, Visual Span, and Sternberg Memory Search Task when compared to PH- individuals. Also, PH+ participants reported higher anxiety and irritability during Block Design than PH- participants. PH+ participants performed more poorly on Block Design even after controlling for group differences in state affect responses. There were no parental history group differences in resting cardiovascular activity and cardiovascular reactivity during testing. However, cardiovascular activity at rest, and to a lesser degree, cardiovascular reactivity during testing were related to test performance for the entire sample. More specifically, decreased baseline peripheral resistance and increased baseline cardiac activity were related to better test performance. During testing, only increased cardiac reactivity was related to better test performance. The present results suggest that parental history group differences in cognitive functioning are independent of cardiovascular activity and state affect, even though cardiovascular activity may be related to cognitive functioning.