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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
07:30
Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
Cerebral ventricular changes associated with transitions between normal cognitive function, mild cognitive
Owen T Carmichael1, Lewis H Kuller, Oscar L Lopez
1Neurology and Computer Science Departments, Center for Neuroscience, University of California-Davis, 1544 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95616, USA. ocarmichael@ucdavis.edu
Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders
|March 6, 2007
Summary
Cerebral ventricle expansion accelerates during the progression to dementia, particularly in individuals with diabetes. This study tracked ventricle-to-brain ratio changes in relation to cognitive decline.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Cerebral ventricular expansion is associated with dementia, but its rate during cognitive decline transitions is unclear.
- The influence of cardiovascular risk factors on ventricular expansion rates remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the time course of ventricular expansion during transitions from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
- To examine the impact of cardiovascular risk factors on the rate of ventricular expansion.
Main Methods:
- Utilized automated segmentation to measure lateral ventricle-to-brain ratio (VBR) change rate from longitudinal MRI scans.
- Employed a multivariate model to analyze VBR change, controlling for cognitive status, demographics, infarcts, depression, and cardiovascular risk factors.
Main Results:
- Faster VBR change was observed in subjects with dementia or transitioning from MCI to dementia, compared to cognitively normal individuals.
- Patients with diabetes exhibited a more rapid rate of VBR change.
- Ventricular expansion may accelerate in later stages of cognitive decline and be influenced by diabetes.
Conclusions:
- Ventricular expansion rate increases significantly during the progression to dementia.
- Diabetes mellitus is a potential modulator of accelerated ventricular expansion in aging brains.
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