Title | Midlife Smaller and Larger Infarctions, White Matter Hyperintensities, and 20-Year Cognitive Decline: A Cohort Study. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2019 |
Authors | B Windham G, Griswold ME, Wilkening SR, Su D, Tingle J, Coker LH, Knopman D, Gottesman RF, Shibata D |
Secondary Authors | Mosley TH |
Journal | Ann Intern Med |
Volume | 171 |
Issue | 6 |
Pagination | 389-396 |
Date Published | 2019 09 17 |
ISSN | 1539-3704 |
Keywords | Aged, Cerebral Infarction, Cognitive Dysfunction, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Stroke, United States, White Matter |
Abstract | Background: Smaller ( Objective: To characterize the relationships of smaller, larger, and both smaller and larger infarctions in middle age with 20-year cognitive decline. Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Setting: Two ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study sites with magnetic resonance imaging data (1993 to 1995) and up to 5 cognitive assessments over 20 years. Participants: Stroke-free participants aged 50 years or older. Measurements: Infarctions were categorized as none, smaller only, larger only (3 to 20 mm), or both smaller and larger. Global cognitive Z scores were derived from 3 cognitive tests administered up to 5 times. Mixed-effects models estimated adjusted associations between infarctions and cognitive decline. Results are the average difference in standardized cognitive decline associated with infarctions versus no infarctions. Results: Among 1884 participants (mean age, 62 years; 60% women; 50% black), 1611 (86%) had no infarctions, 50 (3%) had smaller infarctions only, 185 (10%) had larger infarctions only, and 35 (2%) had both. Participants with both smaller and larger infarctions had steeper cognitive decline by more than half an SD (difference, -0.57 SD [95% CI, -0.89 to -0.26 SD]) compared with those who had no infarctions. Amounts of cognitive decline associated with only smaller infarctions and only larger infarctions were similar and were not statistically different from that associated with no infarctions. Limitation: Few participants had only smaller infarctions or both smaller and larger infarctions, and the data lacked counts of smaller infarctions and volumes of white matter hyperintensities. Conclusion: The substantial cognitive decline from middle age associated with having both smaller and larger infarctions, but not larger infarctions alone, suggests that the combination of smaller and larger infarctions may escalate risk for cognitive decline later in life in stroke-free persons. Primary Funding Source: National Institutes of Health. |
DOI | 10.7326/M18-0295 |
Alternate Journal | Ann Intern Med |
PubMed ID | 31450238 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC7413210 |
Grant List | HHSN268201100012C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100009I / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States U01 HL096812 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100010C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100008C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100007C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100011I / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100011C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States U01 HL096902 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100006C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100005I / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States U01 HL096814 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100005G / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States U01 HL096917 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100008I / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100009C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States R01 HL070825 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100005C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States U01 HL096899 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100007I / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States |