Subjective and objective assessment of cognitive function in patients with bronchial asthma, arterial hypertension, and their comorbidity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/bmbr.2706-6290.2026.3.16535Keywords:
bronchial asthma, arterial hypertension, cognitive function, complaints, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Schulte tablesAbstract
Bronchial asthma and arterial hypertension are common chronic conditions that have both been associated with impaired cognitive function.The coexistence of these conditions may be associated with greater impairment of memory and attention, highlighting the need to assess both subjective cognitive complaints and objective cognitive performance in this patient population. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of subjective and objective assessment of cognitive function in patients with asthma, arterial hypertension, and their comorbidity. The study included 82 patients stratified into three groups: Group I comprised patients with bronchial asthma (n=25), Group II comprised patients with arterial hypertension (n=20), and Group III comprised patients with coexisting bronchial asthma and arterial hypertension (n=37). The control group (CG) included 21 apparently healthy individuals. Subjective assessment was based on the analysis of cognitive complaints, whereas objective assessment was performed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Schulte tables. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistica 10.0 software, with the Mann – Whitney U test, Pearson’s chi-square test, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient applied as appropriate. Cognitive complaints were most frequently reported by patients with coexisting bronchial asthma and arterial hypertension (59.5 %). This group also had the lowest median Montreal Cognitive Assessment score, 22.00 [20.00; 24.00], and the longest median Schulte table completion time, 54.00 s [47.00; 59.00]. Schulte table completion time was significantly longer among patients reporting cognitive complaints in the asthma group and in patients with coexisting asthma and arterial hypertension, whereas no statistically significant difference was observed in group II. Spearman correlation analysis revealed weak to moderate correlations between the number of cognitive complaints and objective measures of cognitive performance. The number of complaints correlated negatively with the MoCA score and positively with Schulte table completion time. Cognitive complaints were associated with poorer performance on objective cognitive tests; however, weak and moderate correlations suggest that the number of subjective complaints does not always reflect the severity of cognitive impairment. These findings underscore the importance of cognitive assessment in patients with coexisting bronchial asthma and arterial hypertension, based not only on subjective complaints but also on standardized cognitive test results.
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