Assessment of cerebrovascular reactivity during resting state breathing and its correlation with cognitive function in hypertension.

Background: Hypertension is associated with cognitive deficits, particularly executive function, and decreased cerebral microvascular responsiveness to CO2 (CO2 vasoreactivity). The relation between CO2 vasoreactivity and executive function is not known. Protocols to assess CO2 vasoreactivity are cumbersome and require inhaling a CO2-enriched gas.