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Multicenter Study
. 2015 Mar 26;10(3):e0122138.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122138. eCollection 2015.

Vascular factors and multiple measures of early brain health: CARDIA brain MRI study

Lenore J Launer  1 , Cora E Lewis  2 , Pamela J Schreiner  3 , Steve Sidney  4 , Harsha Battapady  5 , David R Jacobs  3 , Kelvin O Lim  6 , Mark D'Esposito  7 , Qian Zhang  1 , Jared Reis  8 , Christos Davatzikos  5 , R Nick Bryan  5
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Vascular factors and multiple measures of early brain health: CARDIA brain MRI study

Lenore J Launer et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Objective: To identify early changes in brain structure and function that are associated with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF).

Design: Cross-sectional brain Magnetic Resonance I (MRI) study.

Setting: Community based cohort in three U.S. sites.

Participants: A Caucasian and African-American sub-sample (n= 680; mean age 50.3 yrs) attending the 25 year follow-up exam of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study.

Primary and secondary outcomes: 3T brain MR images processed for quantitative estimates of: total brain (TBV) and abnormal white matter (AWM) volume; white matter fractional anisotropy (WM-FA); and gray matter cerebral blood flow (GM-CBF). Total intracranial volume is TBV plus cerebral spinal fluid (TICV). A Global Cognitive Function (GCF) score was derived from tests of speed, memory and executive function.

Results: Adjusting for TICV and demographic factors, current smoking was significantly associated with lower GM-CBF and TBV, and more AWM (all <0.05); SA with lower GM-CBF, WM-FA and TBV (p=0.01); increasing BMI with decreasing GM-CBF (p<0003); hypertension with lower GM-CBF, WM-FA, and TBV and higher AWM (all <0.05); and diabetes with lower TBV (p=0.007). The GCS was lower as TBV decreased, AWM increased, and WM-FA (all p<0.01).

Conclusion: In middle age adults, CVRF are associated with brain health, reflected in MRI measures of structure and perfusion, and cognitive functioning. These findings suggest markers of mid-life cardiovascular and brain health should be considered as indication for early intervention and future risk of late-life cerebrovascular disease and dementia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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