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. 2018 Jan-Mar;32(1):50-56.
doi: 10.1097/WAD.0000000000000215.

Baseline White Matter Hyperintensities and Hippocampal Volume are Associated With Conversion From Normal Cognition to Mild Cognitive Impairment in the Framingham Offspring Study

Katherine J Bangen  1   2 , Sarah R Preis  3   4 , Lisa Delano-Wood  1   2 , Philip A Wolf  3   5 , David J Libon  6 , Mark W Bondi  1   2 , Rhoda Au  3   5 , Charles DeCarli  7 , Adam M Brickman  8   9   10
Affiliations

Baseline White Matter Hyperintensities and Hippocampal Volume are Associated With Conversion From Normal Cognition to Mild Cognitive Impairment in the Framingham Offspring Study

Katherine J Bangen et al. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2018 Jan-Mar.

Abstract

Introduction: We examined associations between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of cerebrovascular disease and neurodegeneration with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis at baseline and conversion from normal cognition to MCI at follow-up.

Methods: Framingham Offspring participants underwent brain MRI and neuropsychological assessment at baseline (n=1049) and follow-up (n=561). Participants were classified at baseline and at follow-up as cognitively normal or MCI using sensitive neuropsychological criteria. White matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume, covert brain infarcts, hippocampal volume, and total cerebral brain volume were quantified.

Results: Baseline measures of WMH and hippocampal volume were associated with MCI status cross-sectionally and also with conversion from normal cognition to MCI at 6.5-year follow-up. Annualized change rates in total cerebral brain volume and hippocampal volume were associated with conversion from normal cognition to MCI to follow-up.

Discussion: Baseline WMH and hippocampal volume are markers that are both associated with conversion from normal cognition to MCI, highlighting the role of both vascular lesions and neurodegeneration in MCI.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts to report.

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