ArticleDrugs & aging2026
Exploring the Link Between Pharmacological Management of Orthostatic Hypotension and Cognitive Performance: A Scoping Review.
Article in Drugs & aging, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOrthostatic hypotension is recognized as a potential contributor to cognitive impairment in older adults. It is still unknown whether pharmacological treatment of orthostatic hypotension can affect cognition.
objectiveThe aim of this scoping review was to identify whether treatment of orthostatic hypotension with midodrine, droxidopa, and fludrocortisone had any effect on cognitive performance.
methodsWe searched the databases of Embase and MEDLINE. Key eligibility criteria included observational studies or clinical trials using midodrine, droxidopa, or fludrocortisone to treat adult patients with orthostatic hypotension with cognition assessed. Key search terms used were "orthostatic hypotension," "cognition," "midodrine," "fludrocortisone," and "droxidopa." Quality assessment was performed using the LEGEND (Let Evidence Guide Every New Decision) Evidence Evaluation System. A descriptive synthesis was undertaken because of heterogeneous study designs and assessments, categorizing studies by patient population, with no statistical pooling.
resultsFive studies met the criteria for the scoping review. These studies investigated midodrine, droxidopa, and fludrocortisone used individually, or in combination, to treat orthostatic hypotension. Three studies found cognitive improvements with orthostatic hypotension treatment, one found negative cognitive side effects with orthostatic hypotension medications and one study found no significant change. Three patient populations were examined in these studies: patients with dementia, patients with parkinsonism, and patients with spinal cord injury. Included studies were small, observational, and interventional and cognitive outcomes ranged from symptom-based assessments to formal neuropsychological testing.
conclusionsLimited conclusions can be drawn from these five studies because of non-standardized cognitive assessments, small sample sizes, and methodological variability. However, overall, this scoping review provides evidence that treatment of orthostatic hypotension might have a cognitive benefit in certain populations. Further observational studies and clinical trials are warranted to better elucidate whether combinations of midodrine, droxidopa, and fludrocortisone will work in specific patient populations to improve clinical outcomes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42189477What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.