Cardiovascular risks and brain function: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of executive function in older
Yi-Fang Chuang1, Dana Eldreth1, Kirk I Erickson2
1Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Insights
Higher cardiovascular risk in older adults is linked to increased brain activity in specific regions, potentially explaining cognitive decline and dementia risk. This brain activation correlated with poorer executive function performance.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia are known to increase the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults.
- The precise biological mechanisms connecting CV risk factors to cognitive decline remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between aggregate cardiovascular risk, quantified by the Framingham general cardiovascular risk profile, and functional brain activation patterns.
- To explore the neural underpinnings of executive function in community-dwelling older adults with varying levels of cardiovascular risk.
Main Methods:
- Sixty community-dwelling older adults (mean age: 64.6 years) from the Brain Health Study participated.
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed during the Flanker task to assess brain activation.
- Aggregate CV risk was calculated using the Framingham general cardiovascular risk profile.
Main Results:
- Participants with higher aggregate CV risk exhibited greater task-related brain activation in the left inferior parietal region.
- This heightened activation in the left inferior parietal region was significantly associated with poorer performance on the Flanker task, indicating impaired executive function.
- Findings suggest a neural pathway linking CV risk to executive function deficits.
Conclusions:
- Elevated cardiovascular risk is associated with altered functional brain activation in older adults.
- Increased activation in the inferior parietal region may represent a neural mechanism through which cardiovascular risk contributes to cognitive impairment and increased dementia risk.
- These findings highlight the importance of managing CV risk factors for brain health in aging populations.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia are associated with cognitive impairment and risk of dementia in older adults. However, the mechanisms linking them are not clear. This study aims to investigate the association between aggregate CV risk, assessed by the Framingham general cardiovascular risk profile, and functional brain activation in a group of community-dwelling older adults. Sixty participants (mean age: 64.6 years) from the Brain Health Study, a nested study of the Baltimore Experience Corps Trial, underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging using the Flanker task. We found that participants with higher CV risk had greater task-related activation in the left inferior parietal region, and this increased activation was associated with poorer task performance. Our results provide insights into the neural systems underlying the relationship between CV risk and executive function. Increased activation of the inferior parietal region may offer a pathway through which CV risk increases risk for cognitive impairment.
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