Associations Between Cerebral Vasoreactivity and Cognitive Function in the Middle-Aged Non-Demented Population

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Vascular Biology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology involves early vascular dysregulation.
• Investigating neurovascular health in middle-aged adults is crucial for understanding cognitive decline.
• Cerebral vascular hemodynamics may offer early indicators of cognitive function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between brain vascular hemodynamic parameters and cognitive performance in middle-aged adults.
• To identify specific hemodynamic markers linked to cognitive function in a non-demented population.
• To explore age-related differences in neurovascular-cognitive relationships.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 490 middle-aged participants (30-60 years).
• Measured cerebral vascular hemodynamics (mean flow velocity, pulsatility index, breath-holding index) using transcranial color-coded sonography in middle cerebral arteries (MCAs).
• Assessed cognitive function with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and analyzed associations using multivariate linear regression.

Main Results:

• In 369 participants, poorer MoCA scores were associated with older age, less education, smoking, and alcohol consumption.
• No significant association was found between most hemodynamic parameters and MoCA scores in the total population.
• Left MCA breath-holding index (BHI) independently correlated with MoCA scores in individuals aged 55-60 years, but not in younger participants.

Conclusions:

• Neurovascular abnormalities play a role in early cognitive impairment.
• Cerebral vasoreactivity, indicated by BHI, may be an early detectable hemodynamic parameter associated with cognition.
• Findings highlight the importance of vascular health monitoring for cognitive function in aging populations.