Vascular and microstructural markers of cognitive pathology

Background Arterial stiffness may play a role in the development of dementia, presumably through its effects on white matter integrity and hyperintensities (WMH). However, relationships among arterial stiffness, microstructure, WMH volumes remain poorly understood. increases monotonically with age increase is accelerated by cardiometabolic disorders (e.g., hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes). Further exploration these key to targeted therapies, early management, detection. Method was measured using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) ADRC participants baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) measurements, detailed cognitive testing, adjudication, brain MRI. We examined associations cfPWV SBP function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA], Preclinical Alzheimer’s Composite [PACC5], domain measures memory executive function) MRI of: macrostructure (volume gray [GM] from T1-weighted FLAIR imaging), microstructure (neurite orientation dispersion density imaging [NODDI] free water [FW] diffusion tensor [DTI] fractional anisotropy [FA]), cerebral flow (CBF) (WM) GM. Age, race, gender, education, APOE-4 status were included as covariates interaction terms linear regression analyses. Result Among 458 mean 70±8 years adjudication (44 157 MCI, 257 normal cognition; Table 1), higher associated worse performance (MoCA, PACC5), PACC5, domain, language domain; 2). Higher differences WM (higher FW, lower FA) volume. While no overall between CBF detected, had stronger FA, men. volume, GM (Table 3). younger (<70y) Black/AA impaired fasting glucose. No other interactions detected. Conclusions microstructural macrostructural poorer global function.