[Cognitive profile in hypertensive patients. Usefulness of the Clock Drawing Test].

Introduction: Hypertension is the main cause of cognitive impairment and the executive dysfunction the most com- mon cognitive domain affected. The aims of this research have been to characterize the cognitive profiles (s) in hypertensive patients and to identify the most usefulness Test (s) in the routine clinical practice to identify them.

Methods: We assessed the cognitive status in 69 hypertensive patients who were administered a battery of cognitive Tests that included the MMSE, the Mini-Boston Naming Test, verbal fluency and the Clock drawing Test.

Results: The average of the sample was 72.2±10.1 years. The Clock-drawing Test and the Mini-Boston Naming Test differentiated 3 cognitive profiles: no cognitive impairment, minor cognitive disorder and major cognitive disorder. A strong association was observed between the semantic (0.87) and executive (0.75) components of the Clock-drawing Test with the Mini-Boston Naming Test (0.96). The analysis of clusters and switchings in the verbal fluency Test differentiated the severe forms of cognitive impairment.

Conclusion: The results obtained confirm the value of the Clock-drawing Test to identify the different cognitive profiles in hypertensive patients, becoming a valid screening test to be used in routine clinical practice and a potential biomarker of cognitive dysfunction in hypertensive patients.