Total atherosclerotic burden measured by magnetic resonance imaging is related to five-year decline in cognitive function

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore whether total atherosclerotic burden is related to future decline in performance on cognitive tests.

Methods: The total atherosclerotic burden (TAS) was assessed by whole-body magnetic resonance angiography (WBMRA) in 305 subjects at age 70 in the study Prospective Investigation of Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS). The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and trail making tests (TMT) A and B were evaluated at ages 75 and 80 in 190 of those subjects. No subject with a diagnosis of dementia was included in the sample.

Results: MMSE did not change during the 5 years of follow-up, while TMT A and B increased by 4 and 7 s, respectively. TAS at age 70 was significantly related to the individual change in TMT B (P<0·0001) between age 75 and 80, when adjusted for sex, education level, TMT B at age 75 and Framingham score at age 70. No such relationship was seen for the change in TMT A (P = 0·10). The relationship between TAS and the change in MMSE was of borderline significance (P = 0·025).

Conclusion: A relationship was found between the total atherosclerotic burden and future decline in performance on TMT B, highlighting a role of global atherosclerosis in the cognitive decline seen during ageing.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; dementia; magnetic resonance angiography; mild cognitive impairment; mini-mental state examination; trail making tests.