Open AccessMRI biomarkers of small vessel disease and cognition: A cross‐sectional study of a cognitively normal Mexican American cohort
Author(s) -
Vintimilla Raul,
Hall James,
King Kevin,
Braskie Meredith N.,
Johnson Leigh,
Yaffe Kristine,
Toga Arthur W.,
O'Bryant Sid
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia: diagnosis, assessment and disease monitoring
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.497
H-Index - 37
ISSN - 2352-8729
DOI - 10.1002/dad2.12236
Subject(s) - dementia , cognition , hyperintensity , cohort , medicine , gerontology , population , cross sectional study , cognitive test , brain size , linear regression , cognitive decline , regression analysis , clinical psychology , psychology , disease , psychiatry , magnetic resonance imaging , pathology , radiology , environmental health , machine learning , computer science
Background The current project sought to evaluate the impact that white matter hyperintensities (WMH) have on executive function in cognitively normal Mexican Americans, an underserved population with onset and more rapid progression of dementia. Methods Data from 515 participants (360 female) enrolled in the Health and Aging Brain Study: Health Disparities project were analyzed. Participants underwent clinical evaluation, cognitive testing, and a brain MRI. Linear regression was used to predict the effect of total WMH volume on cognitive test scores. Age, sex, and education were entered as covariates. Results Regression analysis showed that WMH volume significantly predicted executive function. WMH also predicted global cognition and attention scores, although not significantly after adjusting for age. Conclusion In this sample of cognitively normal Mexican Americans, we found that WMH volume was associated with lower scores in a measure of executive function, after accounting for age, sex, and education.