White matter hyperintensity load varies depending on subjective cognitive decline criteria
Cassandra Morrison1,2, Mahsa Dadar3,4, Sylvia Villeneuve5,3,4
1McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. cassandra.morrison@mail.mcgill.ca.
Geroscience
|November 19, 2022
Summary
Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in older adults is linked to white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Different SCD assessment methods reveal varying WMH accumulation patterns, suggesting diverse underlying pathologies.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroimaging
- Gerontology
Background:
- Cerebrovascular pathology, measured as white matter hyperintensities (WMH), increases with age and cognitive impairment.
- The association between WMH burden and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in cognitively unimpaired older adults is debated, potentially due to varied SCD classification methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if four common SCD classification methods yield different WMH accumulation patterns in cognitively unimpaired older adults with (SCD+) versus without (SCD-) subjective cognitive decline.
- To explore the relationship between SCD and overall/regional WMH burden using diverse assessment tools.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 535 cognitively unimpaired older adults (1353 time points) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.
- Employed four SCD operationalizations: Cognitive Change Index (CCI), Everyday Cognition Scale (ECog), ECog+Worry, and Worry.
- Applied linear mixed-effects models to analyze associations between SCD and WMH burden (overall and regional) over time.
Main Results:
- Overall temporal WMH burden differences were significant only with the Worry questionnaire.
- The CCI and ECog methods showed higher WMH burden change in SCD+ versus SCD- in temporal and parietal regions.
- ECog+Worry and Worry questionnaires indicated increased WMH burden change over time in SCD+ versus SCD- across frontal, temporal, and parietal regions.
Conclusions:
- WMH burden differences between SCD+ and SCD- individuals vary based on the specific questionnaire and measurement approach (regional/global) used for WMHs.
- The diverse methods for defining SCD may correspond to distinct underlying neuropathological processes.
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